By Tian Ruiying, Reporter for "China Science News"
In December 2023, 17-year-old student Dorothy Jean Tillman II obtained her Ph.D. in Behavioral Health Management from Arizona State University in the United States. Recently, she participated in the university's graduation ceremony.
Dorothy Jean Tillman II. Image Source: Good Morning America
According to CNN, this young genius from Chicago, USA entered university at the age of 10, earned a master's degree at 14, and obtained a doctorate at 17. Apart from her academic achievements, she also founded a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) summer camp.
Tillman's doctoral dissertation advisor, Leslie Manson, Clinical Associate Professor at Arizona State University, mentioned that Tillman is the youngest person in the school's history to receive a Doctorate in Behavioral Health Management.
Despite the awe surrounding her success, Tillman describes herself as a regular teenager who enjoys spending time with family and friends. She credits her mother as one of her biggest motivators.
Child Prodigy
Academically, Tillman has shown exceptional talent from a young age.
Tillman shared her learning journey at the Arizona State University STEAM and Dream Summit. At the age of 10, she studied Psychology at Lake County College in the USA, earning an Associate's degree in August 2016. She then pursued various forms of education at Stanford University, Brigham Young University, and Excelsior College, obtaining a Bachelor of Humanities degree in 2018 and a Master of Science degree from the University of Maine at Augusta in 2020.
In April 2023, Tillman partnered with American Family Insurance to host a STEAM and Dreams Summit for 200 middle and high school students at Arizona State University. Image Source: Arizona State University
Tillman's mother, Gimalita Tillman, mentioned that Tillman started doing high school exercises at the age of 7, began taking college-level module tests, and used the credits for higher education. She never expected that Tillman would pursue a Ph.D. after earning a master's degree at the age of 14.
At that time, Tillman had been running the STEAM summer camp for a year and was busy seeking funding for the organization. When Gimalita heard about her daughter's plan to pursue a Ph.D., she was very surprised: "I just thought, why? I thought you were done."
Tillman explained that her mission is to have a positive impact on the mental health of young people. Gimalita also understood and supported her decision.
In fact, it was not easy for Tillman to establish the STEAM program. In 2020, when she had just obtained a master's degree from the Maine College of Unity, no one hired her. As a result, she decided to start her own business.
Initially, Tillman hoped to establish a comprehensive STEAM program in South Africa, but due to changes in the international health environment, she had to shift online. "We created toolkits for them and recorded videos for everyone to participate. But after that, I still felt it wasn't enough, I wanted something physical. In the summer of 2020, my mom and sister helped me design an actual camp."
She aims to promote her STEAM training camps nationwide, "We want to provide everyone with all possible resources and the best foundation so that they can embark on the path to their dreams."
Helping students is Tillman's nature. During her Ph.D. studies, Tillman's thesis focused on exploring the shame that hinders college students from receiving mental health treatment.
"When students come to talk to me about their feelings towards research, they initially feel forced to speak, but when they leave, they have their own goals," Tillman said. "They become more talkative, understand what's happening on campus, understand their peers, and reduce their shame by learning about what their peers are going through."
"Curiosity" and "Innovation"
Tillman (center) at the May graduation ceremony. Image Source: Arizona State University
For achieving so much at this young age, Tillman credits it all to the support of her family, especially her mother, "Without her, I would never have made it this far. She's the best teammate, the best supporter."
Another source of motivation for her comes from her grandmother, former Chicago alderman Dorothy Tillman. She worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement and always emphasized to Tillman the importance of education and continuous learning, "I value education greatly. Besides academics, I am also looking for other ways to educate myself."
Tillman (right) and Manson (left). Image source: Arizona State University
Manson supervised Tillman's doctoral dissertation, "She truly led the change and was committed to different forms of management to truly reduce the number of students feeling healthcare shame, enabling them to access student healthcare services."
Manson described Tillman as "curious" and "innovative," emphasizing her remarkable achievements to date and hoping she continues to inspire others with her love for learning, "Curiosity is always there, I think all learners have that curiosity, but to see that curiosity in someone so young is just wonderful."
After graduating from Arizona State University, Tillman hopes to further develop her STEAM training camp and apply her research in comprehensive behavioral health to her work. She mentioned that one day, the STEAM camp could potentially be franchised, benefiting more children, and she also hopes to collaborate more with children in Africa.
"I have always been focused on my studies, but I haven't reached the level I should have," Tillman said, "Now I am happy to have the time to do these things."
However, she is well aware that "only through teamwork can dreams be realized."
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