We have seen many people who have a lot of drive but I would have to say that Dorothy Jean Tillman is near the top of the list. Dorothy, whom her friends called DJ, is only 14 years old and she plays the part quite well. She loves being with her friends, dancing, and scrolling through social media but that is where the typical life ends for her. She has managed to earn an achievement that many people have not been able to do, even when they are much older than she is. She got her master’s degree from unity college, and she did so when she was only 14 years old. She started out in schools for gifted children but got distracted, so she enrolled in dual enrollment for high school courses.
During the day, DJ would take her regular classes but then she would go online to take the high school modules. After completing high school she went to the College of Lake County to get her associate’s degree in psychology. She was only 10 years old at the time! She then went to Excelsior College for her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts at the age of 12. As it turns out, she was only starting because she now has her Master’s degree in environmental science and sustainable engineering. Her family held a small celebration, keeping things simple due to the coronavirus.
DJs grandmother seems to have a lot to do with her interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and engineering. She would provide her with plenty of books and magazines on the subject, so DJ got busy in those programs as a small child. Her family says she always loved to study but she also gets involved in the arts to keep herself balanced.
Jimalita Tillman is her mother, who told PEOPLE that she is proud of her daughter and the example she is setting for other young girls. DJ doesn’t have her entire future figured out but she does feel it will involve STEM and she wants to be an entrepreneur. I’m sure that whatever she tries to do in life, she will succeed.