ARU launches The Paula Heister Student Scholarships
Donation of £515,000 enables ARU to establish framework of support for illustrators
Paula Heister pictured with her artwork
Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has launched The Paula Heister Student Scholarships, which will provide financial support for talented illustrators to study the University’s MA Children’s Book Illustration course.
The scholarships are in memory of Paula Heister, who graduated from ARU’s Children’s Book Illustration course in 2023. Paula died aged 40 last year, shortly after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
The scholarships have been made possible thanks to a generous donation of £515,000 to ARU from Schroeder-Heister-Stiftung, a charitable foundation established by Paula’s parents Peter Schroeder-Heister and Gabriele Heister, with funds from her late grandfather. The funding, to be distributed over 10 years, will support successive cohorts of students.
Originally from Germany, Paula lived in Cambridge with her husband Chris and combined her work as a gifted illustrator with her successful academic career in science and medicine.
Holding a DPhil from Oxford University and an MBBS from Imperial College London, Paula was a Bye-Fellow at Downing College, University of Cambridge, where she taught medical students. Shortly before her death she had been awarded a Fellowship by Harvard University.
Following her lifelong ambition of creating children’s books, Paula quickly gained international recognition for her illustrations. She was runner-up in the science and technology category at the 2023 World Illustration Awards and in 2024 was a finalist in the Illustrators’ Exhibition at the prestigious Bologna Children's Book Fair.
“Paula had always praised ARU for its good atmosphere and strong community sense. The Paula Heister Student Scholarships honour Paula’s own experience on the Children’s Book Illustration course, the friendships she made at ARU, and her belief in the transformative potential of the MA programme.”
Paula’s mother, Gabriele Heister
“The Paula Heister Student Scholarships express our family’s gratitude to the students and teachers of the illustration course, and our family’s wish to give gifted young people the opportunity to study at ARU.”
Peter Schroeder-Heister, Paula’s fatherTwo scholarships will be offered each year – one to a UK student and one to an international student. Each will fully cover course fees and will be allocated based on financial need, for example household income, alongside the strength of an applicant’s portfolio.
The Heister family’s donation has also enabled ARU to establish a number of additional initiatives, creating a lasting framework of support for future generations of illustrators.
The Paula Heister Illustration Prize will celebrate outstanding portfolios or book projects presented at the graduate exhibition, with awards of £1,000 for the winner and £500 for the runner-up, while The Paula Heister Lecture and Exhibition will bring internationally renowned illustrators and academics to ARU each year for a public lecture, exhibition and publication.
In addition, The Paula Heister Fund for Students in Need, administered directly by the family’s charity, will provide immediate support for MA Children’s Book Illustration students facing financial difficulty. The fund will help students cover essential costs, such as producing final work or attending key professional events.
“Paula was an exceptionally talented student whose creativity, warmth and spirit continue to inspire our community. We are extremely grateful to her family for this generous donation, which allows us to honour her memory in such a meaningful way.
“These initiatives, developed in close partnership with the Heister family, celebrate the many facets of Paula’s life and character, not least her empathy, curiosity, academic rigour and commitment to artistic innovation. Together, they create a powerful legacy that will support and inspire students on a course she cared so deeply about.”
Shelley Jackson, Course Director for the MA in Children’s Book Illustration at ARUFurther information about The Paula Heister Student Scholarships, including details of how to apply, is available at https://www.aru.ac.uk/heister