A 17-year-old Chicago girl, Dorothy Jean Tillman II, achieved an online doctoral degree from Arizona State University last December. Much of this accomplishment can be attributed to her mother, Jimalita Tillman, and her unique approach to parenting, which instilled in Dorothy a continuous desire for learning.
Dorothy received a Doctorate in Integrative Behavioral Health from Arizona State University last year, marking the latest in a series of academic achievements. At the age of 12, she obtained a bachelor’s degree online, and by 14, she had earned a master’s degree in environmental science through online studies.
Jimalita, a single mother, shared with “CNBC Make It” that she began homeschooling her daughter around the age of 7. Recognizing Dorothy’s abundant curiosity and eagerness to learn at an early age, she emphasized the importance of allowing children to take the lead in their learning process.
Her best advice to other parents is to encourage children when they show interest in something and to let them take the lead in teaching you. “Early on, it was most important to allow her to lead and teach me, even if it was something I already knew,” she said.
Dorothy excelled in her homeschooling curriculum, advancing quickly to high school-level subjects by the age of 8. A year later, she completed university-level courses online through the College of Lake County and obtained an associate degree in psychology at the age of 10.
Research suggests that giving children the opportunity to teach you or others about a particular subject can lead to a deeper and more enduring understanding of the material they study, motivating them to engage more actively.
For Jimalita, this meant showing genuine interest in the subjects that excited her daughter. As she posed numerous questions and created opportunities for her daughter to apply her knowledge in response, Dorothy’s confidence and knowledge base grew, fueling her desire for continual learning.
Understanding how to teach a topic has been shown to enhance our own comprehension and memory, instilling greater confidence in the concept, as well as in our children.
Jimalita emphasized the importance of social skills as another key aspect. Dorothy’s advanced courses and busy schedule sometimes caused her to miss out on typical teenage activities such as “spirit week.” To compensate for this, Jimalita made efforts to host her daughter’s friends regularly for vacations and study groups, especially during the remote learning phase brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Encouraging Dorothy to teach her peers also played a role in enhancing her leadership skills. In 2020, Dorothy founded the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Leadership Academy, providing STEM and arts education programs for African American youth in Chicago.