Vanessa the child prodigy!

Sep 7 2007 By Dale Williams, Birmingham Mail

NEW mum Vanessa Judd was determined nothing would stop her attending her graduation - not even the birth of her first child.

When the 40-year-old gave birth to Daniel Connor Sparkes at 3pm on Monday, friends and fellow students assumed she wouldn't be there for the ceremony next day.

But Vanessa stunned everyone by robing up to receive her first-class honours degree.

After four years studying part time for a BA (Hons) in graphic communication while working full-time at Presence Marketing, in Birmingham, Vanessa was determined to graduate alongside her fellow students from Wolverhampton University's School of Art and Design.

Her hard work paid off as she was presented with her degree at the Grand Theatre.

And she has no plans to rest on her laurels - she has already enrolled on the university's new MA Design for Advertising course, starting on September 17.

Mature student Vanessa, who lives in Wolverhampton with her partner Ian, said: "I have worked so hard to get my degree and I did not want to miss my opportunity to have my time on stage.

"It was brilliant to get my degree and having Daniel was the best thing I have ever done - I cannot believe it has all happened in one year.

"I keep having to have a reality check, she added.

"The graduation staff were lovely - I was taken to a room upstairs during the beginning of the ceremony and then came down and sat with my parents just before I was called up. They gave me a special mention, saying that not only had I got a first-class degree but I had given birth the day before."

Daniel weighed in at 5lb 15oz. ..SUPL: