A-levels 2026: Portsmouth HSDC student celebrates results as she looks to spread further awareness of autism rights
‘It really shows that autism is not a limitation’
A student from Portsmouth is celebrating her A-level results as she aims to spread awareness of autism rights.
Megan Payne, 20, from Portsmouth, was delighted when she picked her results from the HSDC Havant campus on Thursday, August 13. Having achieved a B in politics and an A* in sociology she is now heading to the University of Sussex where she will be studying the same topics.
For Megan, who is autistic, the results were a vindication of her hard work and demonstrated that the condition is not a limitation. She said: “I did better than I thought I would. It feels really good. As a student with autism you don’t really expect that but I am very proud of myself and I did not let me anxiety get the better of me at all.
“It really shows that autism is not a limitation but rather, in a way, it helped me this time to study better for my exams.”
Looking ahead, Megan is aiming to spread awareness of the condition.
She said: “What I hope to do is spread further awareness of autism rights. When you study politics it helps develop closer connection with the community while sociology helps to understand the social interaction people have with the public.
“I’m really looking forward to these next steps in my life.”