Shropshire Star

Sam defies doubters with top degree

A student who was once told he would struggle to gain a single GCSE has won a prestigious prize after completing his university degree with first-class honours.

Published

Sam Leather, from Billingsley, near Bridgnorth, won the RAF Museum Prize for his dissertation as well as achieving a first-class degree in war studies at Birmingham University.

His proud mother Helen said Sam, now 21, had been born prematurely, and suffered a number of health problems during his early life.

"As a result, many things were difficult for him, including maths, and he was told at one stage he would never even pass a GCSE, but he has worked extremely hard, and we are very proud of what he has achieved."

Sam's twin brother Ben is also at university, in the third year of a four-year physics course at Manchester University.