She had an exceptional academic journey right from when she was a kid. She began talking at 8 months old and started doing math by 4 years old. Dorothy’s mother, Jimalita Tillman, said she was still a toddler when she noticed that she was good with math.

Dorothy enrolled in high school at nine years old and at the age of 10, she completed her associate’s degree at the College of Lake County. She proceeded to obtain her bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Albany’s Excelsior College, New York at the age of 12.

Dorothy shared on her Instagram that she has successfully defended her dissertation making her earn a doctorate in Behavioral Health from Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions at the young age of 17.

” I’m happy to share that I’ve completed my Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) studies at Arizona State University’s ASU College of Health Solutions! I am now Dr. Dorothy Jean Tillman, DBH, since successfully defending my dissertation last week,” she said.

Dorothy’s research focused “on the impact of implementing an outreach and education program aimed at reducing the stigma associated with using campus mental health services among college-aged students,” she said.

Dorothy said her goal is to not only shine a light on the need for mental health support within educational facilities but also on how widely underserved many young people are as a result of associated stigmas.

She has also launched the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Institute, which is aimed at utilizing her degrees in environmental and sustainable science to enhance the need for mental and behavioral health services that are school and community-based.

Dorothy expressed her gratitude to everyone who supported her in the academic journey, especially her mother. She described her mother as her number one champion.