16-year-old environmental scientist kickstarted her own career
By
Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Mar 18, 2022 11:45 AM EDT
|
Updated Mar 18, 2022 1:49 PM EDT
Dorothy Jean Tillman started her own business after no one would hire her when she graduated from college.
Despite having an undergraduate and two graduate degrees at just 14 years old, Dorothy Jean Tillman -- an award-winning child prodigy, tech and art enthusiast, community leader and nationally recognized scientist -- took matters into her own hands almost two years ago by kickstarting not only her own career but also the careers of other kids interested in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics).
Now, at 16 years old, Tillman is a doctor of behavioral health (D.B.H.) candidate at Arizona State University and the founder and CEO of Dorthyjeanius STEAM leadership Institute, with locations in Chicago and Cape Town, South Africa.
"From a very young age I was always going to gifted programs or gifted young kids schools," Tillman told AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor in an interview in 2021.
Tillman, who is from Chicago, first enrolled in college courses when she was 10 years old. She received her Bachelor of Science in Humanities at Excelsior College in the summer of 2018 and double majored in environmental science and sustainable engineering for her Master of Science from Unity College in spring 2020.
She is the youngest environmental and sustainable scientist in the U.S., according to her website. She says her motto is "leading by examples of excellence."
Despite her many qualifications at a young age, Tillman's age limited her from holding a job. But, rather than allowing that to set her back from her goals, she decided to start her own business in 2020 -- an after-school camp called the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Camp.
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At the camp, which is based out of two locations -- the south side of Chicago and Cape Town, South Africa -- dozens of teenagers experiment with and explore science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
The goal of Tillman's after-school camp is to introduce inner-city kids to a wide array of interests that could later transform into careers in fields that often lack diversity.
"She's not someone who is out of their reach or they're not familiar with or doesn't have habits that they recognize," Bril Barrett, who is a mentor to Tillman, said. "She is just like them. She is them."
Tillman's mother, Jimalita Tillman, pushed her to stay connected to other kids her age despite being far ahead of them in academics by joining performing arts. She cited that there are many valuable skills that can be gained from participating in the performing arts when she spoke with Victor.
"It's communication skills, it's working in a group, it's being able to perform in front of an audience, it's being able to conquer your fears," Jimalita said, adding that learning memorization is another benefit of engaging in performing arts.
Some of the scheduled activities at Tillman's camp include weather-based scientific experiments, including a tornado in a jar and a storm cloud in a jar.
"They're really simple experiments but they're really fun and they kind of show you the dynamics of weather and how things may be created," she explained.
Since the camp opened in 2020, Tillman has been working on a book and pursuing her D.B.H, which is an alternative to the more researched-oriented Ph.D. Tillman's book titled "Unlock the Genius Within" is available for preorder.
"When [kids] hear us doing all these different things under the umbrella of STEAM, they perk up," Tillman said. "I think that what we're doing here kind of just gives them that [insight into] what they want to do for their future."
Additional reporting by Emmy Victor.
For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Weather News
16-year-old environmental scientist kickstarted her own career
By Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Mar 18, 2022 11:45 AM EDT | Updated Mar 18, 2022 1:49 PM EDT
Dorothy Jean Tillman started her own business after no one would hire her when she graduated from college.
Despite having an undergraduate and two graduate degrees at just 14 years old, Dorothy Jean Tillman -- an award-winning child prodigy, tech and art enthusiast, community leader and nationally recognized scientist -- took matters into her own hands almost two years ago by kickstarting not only her own career but also the careers of other kids interested in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics).
Now, at 16 years old, Tillman is a doctor of behavioral health (D.B.H.) candidate at Arizona State University and the founder and CEO of Dorthyjeanius STEAM leadership Institute, with locations in Chicago and Cape Town, South Africa.
"From a very young age I was always going to gifted programs or gifted young kids schools," Tillman told AccuWeather National Reporter Emmy Victor in an interview in 2021.
Tillman, who is from Chicago, first enrolled in college courses when she was 10 years old. She received her Bachelor of Science in Humanities at Excelsior College in the summer of 2018 and double majored in environmental science and sustainable engineering for her Master of Science from Unity College in spring 2020.
She is the youngest environmental and sustainable scientist in the U.S., according to her website. She says her motto is "leading by examples of excellence."
Despite her many qualifications at a young age, Tillman's age limited her from holding a job. But, rather than allowing that to set her back from her goals, she decided to start her own business in 2020 -- an after-school camp called the Dorothy Jeanius STEAM Camp.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
At the camp, which is based out of two locations -- the south side of Chicago and Cape Town, South Africa -- dozens of teenagers experiment with and explore science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
The goal of Tillman's after-school camp is to introduce inner-city kids to a wide array of interests that could later transform into careers in fields that often lack diversity.
"She's not someone who is out of their reach or they're not familiar with or doesn't have habits that they recognize," Bril Barrett, who is a mentor to Tillman, said. "She is just like them. She is them."
Tillman's mother, Jimalita Tillman, pushed her to stay connected to other kids her age despite being far ahead of them in academics by joining performing arts. She cited that there are many valuable skills that can be gained from participating in the performing arts when she spoke with Victor.
"It's communication skills, it's working in a group, it's being able to perform in front of an audience, it's being able to conquer your fears," Jimalita said, adding that learning memorization is another benefit of engaging in performing arts.
Some of the scheduled activities at Tillman's camp include weather-based scientific experiments, including a tornado in a jar and a storm cloud in a jar.
"They're really simple experiments but they're really fun and they kind of show you the dynamics of weather and how things may be created," she explained.
Since the camp opened in 2020, Tillman has been working on a book and pursuing her D.B.H, which is an alternative to the more researched-oriented Ph.D. Tillman's book titled "Unlock the Genius Within" is available for preorder.
"When [kids] hear us doing all these different things under the umbrella of STEAM, they perk up," Tillman said. "I think that what we're doing here kind of just gives them that [insight into] what they want to do for their future."
Additional reporting by Emmy Victor.
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For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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