Jossalyn Dolin honored with this year’s Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design is pleased to announce that Jossalyn Dolin is the recipient of the 2025 Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship. Dolin, of West Virginia, is a junior Illustration major. 

“The Heil Scholarship alleviates stress for me and my family, and guarantees that I’ll be able to come back for my senior year at PCA&D,” Dolin said. “I was elated to hear that I had received the scholarship,” she added. “I didn’t know that I was submitted for this scholarship, and so the shock was overwhelming.”

Dolin is “primarily a digital artist who has been experimenting between styles. As of late I’ve been leaning heavier into children’s illustration than I used to, which is exciting.”

Outside of class, Dolin is the head of the Illustration Guild at PCA&D, and a Writing Center tutor. 

Dolin said that she’s become even more appreciative of what PCA&D has to offer as her college career has progressed. 

“As I’ve gotten to know the program I’ve fallen in love with the diversity in the curriculum and the experiences it’s given me,” Dolin said. “At PCA&D I’ve gotten a large survey of types of illustration, and been able to experiment with things I wouldn’t have thought to try!”

Robert Young, Chair of the Illustration Department at the College, shared that he nominated Dolin for the honor “not only because of her exceptional class work but also due to her taking on the task of reviving the PCA&D Illustration Guild student club and serving as a writing tutor for the Liberal Arts department. (She) is an incredibly hard-working student and that really shows in her work but also in how seriously she takes the process of illustration in conducting meaningful research and producing several high-quality and viable sketches.”

The Mary Colleen Heil Presidential Scholarship was established by the Board of Trustees of Pennsylvania College of Art & Design in 2018 to honor President Emeritus Mary Colleen Heil in recognition of her more than 25 years of leadership and dedication to the College.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an exceptional rising senior student who has been identified by the Dean of Faculty in consultation with the Department Chairs.