THE family of Dunbar vet student Meghan Ambrozevich-Blair have paid tribute to her as it was revealed she has been awarded a posthumous First Class Honours degree by her university.

Meghan, 26, died last December, in a fatal collision on the A1, just one day after she had sat her final exam.

This week Napier University, Edinburgh, where Meghan studied revealed she had passed her course with flying colours and been awarded a First.

And in a moving tribute her family said they took comfort in the knowledge that "all the creatures in animal heaven are being very well cared for".

Parents Kevin and Lauren, Meghan's brothers Jared and Ethan and fiance Scot were devastated by her loss.

A keen volunteer at vet nursing open days, Meghan had been part of a team from the university which visited Kerala, India, in 2015 to help develop local interest in animal welfare and training vet nurses.

She was also involved in campaigning against animal cruelty and fundraising for the Scottish SPCA.

In a statement, her family said they were extremely proud of her achievements revealing she had overcome the odds to be successful.

They said: "Meghan worked so hard at university, on placements and overseas, learning about, and caring for animals. Her dyslexia and dyscalculia meant she had to work harder than most to keep up with her fellow students.

"Even from a very young age, it was clear that Meghan loved animals. She was always drawn to the leftovers and the misfits, the runts that nobody else wanted.

“Meghan's loss has affected all the family deeply, but we take comfort from the fact that all the creatures in animal heaven are being very well cared for."

Dr David Smith, Life Sciences Programme Leader at the university said Meghan's exam success had come as no surprise.

He said: “She was on track to be one of the outstanding students in the history of the programme, not just academically but also in being at the forefront of showing what veterinary nurses can do.

“She was always on the front row, eager and willing to go. She usually had a lovely big smile on her face - unless she wasn’t quite satisfied with your answer to her questions.

“Above all, Meghan was compassionate; both to animals and humans. She had decided to do her honours project on compassion fatigue, after an experience she had on practice placement.

“She will be sadly missed by the staff of Edinburgh Napier University and the College of Animal Welfare.”

Meghan’s close friend and Edinburgh Napier colleague Kirsty Dougherty also paid tribute to her.

She said: “Meghan was a special friend, warm-hearted and fun, and generous with her laughter and enthusiasm. The world seemed like a kinder place when she was around, not only to her friends and family but for her animal patients too. Her compassion and energy were boundless – she is sorely missed.”