Chicago teen walks at her graduation after earning doctorate at 17
A teen in Chicago graduated from Arizona State University (ASU) on May 6 after earning a doctoral degree at 17,
Dorothy Jean Tillman II successfully defended her dissertation in December 2023, making her the youngest to ever get a doctoral degree in integrated behavioral health at her university, associate professor Leslie Manson told Good Morning America (GMA).
The teen celebrated her graduation with a post from her commencement week on Instagram, calling it "surreal" and "full of reflection and inspiration."
"To get the opportunity to speak on the stage in front of 20,000 people live and 3 [million] online was truly an honor,' she captioned.
Dorothy was homeschooled in her early years before she began college at 10 years old, she told GMA.
While her peers were in middle school, Dorothy was taking classes at the College of Lake County in Northern Illinois for a major in psychology. She finished her associate's degree in 2016, as per the Associated Press, and earned a bachelor's in humanities from Excelsior College in New York in 2018.
In 2021, she got a master's of science from Unity College in Maine and was later accepted into Arizona State's Behavioral Health Management program when she was 15.
Dorothy mainly did her classwork online and when she attended her graduation in person.
Dr. Lesley, who oversaw the now-18-year-old's dissertation, described her as "inquisitive" and "innovative."
"It's a wonderful celebration... but this is still something so rare and unique," she told GMA. "She has innovative ideas and motivation, which is wonderful, and truly, I think what is inspiring is that she embodies that meaning of being a true leader."
Dorothy is the granddaughter of Chicago alderwoman and civil rights activist Dorothy Tillman, who she credits for her success.
"Everything that we were doing didn't seem abnormal to me or out of the ordinary until it started getting all of the attention," the teen told the Associated Press.
Asked about her plans after graduation, she said she's "still figuring out" her specific goals "just like any other teenager."
"I'm just really grateful that the world is my oyster, and that I've done so much so young. And I have time to kind of think that through."
At her young age, Dorothy is the founder and CEO of the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute, a program emphasizing STEM and the arts.