VOA教育报道2024--US Teen Started College at 10, Earns Doctorate at 17

Dorothy Jean Tillman II of Chicago, Illinois took her first college class at age 10. This month, she became the youngest person to earn a doctorate¹ in integrated² behavioral health at Arizona State University.

When she completed her study program, she was 17.

Arizona State professor Leslie Manson told the television program Good Morning America, "It's a wonderful celebration, and we hope ... that Dorothy Jean inspires more students." And she added, "But this is still something so rare and unique."

Her friends and family, though, call Tillman by another name, "Dorothy Jeanius." A "genius" is a very smart person.

When most students her age were still in middle school, Tillman took classes through the College of Lake County in northern Illinois. She studied psychology³ and completed her associate's degree in 2016.

She earned a bachelor's in humanities⁴ from New York's Excelsior College in 2018. About two years later, she finished her master of science degree from Unity⁵ College in Maine. In 2021, she started work on her doctoral degree at Arizona State.

Most of her work has been done online while living at home.

Tillman told the Associated Press that she credits her mother and grandmother for her educational success.

"Everything that we were doing didn't seem abnormal⁶ to me or out of the ordinary until it started getting all of the attention," said Tillman.

But she did not get to do all the normal things for young people. "I didn't have the everyday school things like (school) dances or spirit weeks or just school pictures and things like that ..." she said.

She did find time for a dance program and started an organization called the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute. STEAM stands for "science, technology, engineering, arts and math." The program helps young people interested in those subjects during school breaks.

Now that she has finished her studies, Tillman who is now 18, plans to work on raising money to expand her organization. She hopes to bring it to other places beyond Chicago.

Manson, the Arizona State professor, said Tillman is creative and energetic, and that she is "a true leader."

Her mother Jimalita Tillman said she is proud of her daughter's ability to deal with success while making good choices between taking part in social activities and her studies.

Words in This Story

doctorate -adj. a top-level degree that leads to a Ph.D

inspire -v. to give people good feelings about doing something

unique -adj. special or unusual

associate -adj. a first-level college degree that takes two years to complete and leads to entry into a four-year college

bachelor -adj. a degree granted to a student after four years of undergraduate study

master -adj. an advanced degree that comes after a bachelor's degree

1 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

2 integrated   

a.整合的，完整的

参考例句：

• A fully integrated low phase noise LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented.介绍了一种全集成的LC压控振荡器(VCO)的设计。

3 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

4 humanities   

n.人文学

参考例句：

• Dalian University offers courses in science and in the humanities. 大连大学开设自然科学和人文科学课程。
• She has a background in humanities and modern languages. 她学过人文学科和现代语言。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 abnormal   

adj.反常的，不正常的，不规则的

参考例句：

• This warm weather is abnormal for February.二月里这种温暖的天气不太正常。
• That is simply abnormal.那简直是反常的。