Dorothy Jean Tillman II is a 17-year-old who earned her doctorate in health behavior management, a psychology field, from a university in the U.S. state of Arizona this month.

The teenager, who began pursuing her doctorate at age 15 in 2021, appeared on “Good Morning America” to discuss her journey, influences and future plans.

The new doctor, who had her ceremony on May 6, explained that she always felt education was very important, largely due to her family, including her grandmother who “was part of the Civil Rights Movement” in the United States and always stressed “the importance of education, as well as just learning something.”

“But also just being raised that way, just always valuing learning, and just understanding that learning is not just confined to what you’re taught in school. There’s so much more to learn in this world,” she said, adding, “I feel like I always had this drive to just learn something that I didn’t know existed.”

Chicago native Dorothy Jean Tillman becomes a doctor at the tender age of 17 after earning her associates degree at 10 years old, her bachelor at 12 years, a double masters degree at 14 and completing a doctorate program from Arizona state university. pic.twitter.com/g2uh2A2Qg8

— Mr.Theory (@Mrtheory5) May 14, 2024

The young woman said she felt “really excited leading up to the ceremony” and was very proud to have completed this phase of her education.

One of her professors at the university, Leslie Manson, said Tillman was the youngest person to ever earn a doctorate in the field. “It’s a wonderful celebration and hopefully Dorothy Jean will continue to inspire more students,” the professor said, adding that it was, however, a “very rare and unique” situation.

"She has innovative ideas and drive, which is wonderful. And it’s inspiring that she embodies what it means to be a true leader,” Manson said.

Family Support and the Future

The young woman also said that the support of her family was essential, especially her mother. “Seeing my mom constantly working and being the person that everybody came to when they needed something, it always made me see her as like, ‘Wonder Woman,’ and it made me grow up and become a very well-rounded person,” she said.

In her free time, the young woman likes to give back and works at summer camps, where she helps children. Through education, math, science and technology, she tries to motivate children to pursue careers in those fields.

During the program broadcast on American television, Tillman also talked about her future, saying that “like any other teenager, I’m still trying to figure out what my specific dreams and goals are.”

The young woman also offered advice to young people, telling them not to be influenced by what they see on social media, and warning that much of it is not real.

“There’s so much more beyond what we see, and just always remembering that is definitely important,” she said. “It’s OK to not know what you want to do,” she added, saying that it’s necessary to “make the choice” not to give up and to try to figure out what you want to do.

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