Chicago Teen Dorothy Jean Tillman Earns a Doctoral Degree at 17

Dorothy Jean Tillman II at Arizona State University’s commencement in Tempe, Ariz., this month. Ms. Tillman earned her doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from the school at age 17. Credit...Tillman Family, via Associated Press

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“... hopes her story resonates with girls who are talkative, outgoing ‘out-there kind of girls who are trying to figure themselves out but are very smart.’”

— Dr. Tillman

Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman II earned a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions at only 17, making her the youngest person to achieve this even before being eligible to vote. Dr. Tillman hopes her story inspires talkative, outgoing, and smart girls who are trying to figure themselves out.

When Dorothy Jean Tillman II successfully defended her dissertation in November 2023 to earn her doctoral degree from Arizona State University, she couldn’t wait to share the news with her best friend.

Dr. Tillman, now 18, took part in Arizona State’s commencement ceremony and delivered remarks as the outstanding 2024 graduate at the College of Health Solution’s convocation.

Lesley Manson, program director for the doctorate of behavioral health at Arizona State and Dr. Tillman’s doctoral chair said Dr. Tillman displayed extraordinary perseverance, hard work, and dedication at her young age, tackling every challenge head-on. She can serve as a real role model,” Ms. Manson said.

Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman II earned a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health from Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions at age 17

Dr. Tillman was part of a gifted program before transitioning to home-schooling. From a young age, Dorothy excelled in her academic pursuits.

By the age of 7, she was already completing high school-level work. She began taking college-level module tests and applying the credits towards higher education.

At 10, she earned her associate degree in psychology at the College of Lake County in Illinois. At 12, she received her Bachelor of Science in Humanities at Excelsior College in New York, and at 14, she earned a Master of Science from Unity College in Maine. She chose those fields because they can help scientists ‘understand why people treat the environment the way they do,’ she told Time for Kids in a July 2020 interview.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dorothy surprised her mother, Jimalita Tillman, by expressing her desire to pursue a doctorate. This was while Dorothy was already a year into launching a STEAM camp startup and seeking funding for the organization.

Because of her age, Dr. Tillman lived at home for her higher education, mostly studying online. Despite being a social butterfly, she found ways to stay connected with friends through after-school activities.

She was accepted into the management concentration at Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions, an online doctorate program. Her thesis on developing programs to reduce the stigma for college students seeking mental health services is based on a study she conducted for an in-person internship at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

“Children like Dr. Tillman possess an intense drive to master their skills. She refers to this as a ‘rage to master,’ highlighting the powerful motivation these children have. Winner also points out that their natural abilities make the learning process enjoyable and effortless for them. Schools are often not equipped for such gifted children, she added, which may lead parents to home-school their children.”

— Ellen Winner, a professor of psychology at Boston College and the author of 'Gifted Children: Myths and Realities.'

Dorothy not only focuses on her school work but also dedicates her time to running the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. The institute inspires hundreds of underserved young people in Chicago, as well as in countries like Ghana and South Africa, to pursue careers in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). The program includes guest speakers and open conversations about each of the five areas of STEAM.

Dr. Tillman recognizes her mother, Jimalita Tillman, as one of her greatest motivators. Jimalita Tillman's mother, Dorothy Wright Tillman, was a civil rights activist who worked alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and served as a Chicago alderman. Dr. Tillman is named after her grandmother, hence the "II" at the end of her name.

Theo Edwards for YAME