Dorothy Jean Tillman II’s attendance at Arizona State University’s commencement on May 6 was the latest milestone in her higher-education journey, which began when she took her first college course at age 10.
In between were associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees.
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Tillman became the youngest person at Arizona State to get a doctorate in integrated behavioral health when she successfully defended her dissertation in December, according to associate professor Leslie Manson, who spoke with ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Monday.
“It’s a wonderful celebration, and we hope… that Dorothy Jean inspires more students,” Manson stated. “But this is still something so rare and unique.”
Tillman, known to her family and friends as “Dorothy Jeanius,” is the granddaughter of former Chicago alderwoman Dorothy Tillman.
When most students are just starting off in middle school, Tillman’s mother enrolled her in classes at the College of Lake County in northern Illinois, where she majored in psychology and earned an associate’s degree in 2016.
In 2018, Tillman graduated from Excelsior College in New York with a bachelor’s degree in humanities. About two years later, she earned her master’s degree in science from Unity College in Maine, and in 2021, she gained admission into Arizona State University’s Behavioral Health Management Program.
She completed the majority of her coursework remotely and online. Tillman did attend her Arizona State commencement and spoke to the graduating class during the ceremony.
Tillman told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she owes her educational success to her grandma and her trust in her mother’s direction.
“Everything that we were doing didn’t seem abnormal to me or out of the ordinary until it started getting all of the attention,” Tillman, who is now 18, said.
There have been sacrifices, however.
“I didn’t have the everyday school things like homecoming dances or spirit weeks or just school pictures and things like that… that kind of create unity with my peers,” she explained.
She found time to dance and choreograph. Tillman is also the founder and CEO of the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. The initiative comprises summer camps aimed at assisting young people in the arts and STEM fields.
Tillman said her plans include public speaking engagements and fundraising for the camp, which she intends to franchise someday.
Tillman is determined and has unique ideas, according to Manson, who adds, “And truly, what I think is inspiring is that she embodies the meaning of being a true leader.”
Jimalita Tillman is most impressed with her daughter’s ability to present herself and her accomplishments with grace, while also knowing when to “put her foot down” when deciding between social engagements and schooling.
