>> MOST >> 17 YEAR-OLDS ARE ALL EXCITED ABOUT FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL AND MAY BE THINKING ABOUT COLLEGE.

BUT OUR NEXT GUEST IS IN A CLASS ALL BY HERSELF.

A TYPICAL TEEN IN SOME WAYS, 17 YEAR-OLD BRONZEVILLE RESIDENT DOROTHY JEAN TILLMAN ALSO HAPPENS TO HAVE JUST EARNED HER DOCTOR DEGREE AND NAME SOUNDS FAMILIAR.

THAT'S BECAUSE SHE IS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF FORMER ALDERWOMAN DOROTHY TILLMAN.

JOINING US NOW IS DOCTOR DOROTHY.

JEAN TILMON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

AND CONGRATS YOUR DEGREE FOR HAVING CARRIERS.

RECENTLY SUCCESSFULLY, OF COURSE, DEFENDED YOUR YOU NOW, AS WE MENTIONED, HOLD A DOCTORATE AND INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

SOME VERY COMPLICATED SHED.

SOME LIGHT ON WHAT YOUR RESEARCH FOCUSED YES.

SO MY RESEARCH INTERVIEW TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOCUSED ON IT OUTREACH, DECREASED STIGMA.

BASICALLY IT COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE ON WELL, THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN AND OTHER PEOPLE'S AND POSSIBLY EVER GETTING HELP FOR IT.

>> WOULD DECREASE AND THEN FEELING LIKE MENTAL HEALTH MAY MAKE YOU CRAZY OR GETTING HELP AND MAKE YOU CRAZY THINGS ALONG THOSE WHAT HE WENT TO 3RD DEGREE.

I WANT TO CONTINUE.

THE WORK ALREADY DOING BUT ALSO TO INTEGRATE THOSE 2 THINGS AND KIND OF INTRODUCE OTHER YOUTH TO INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BECAUSE A LOT PEOPLE IN MY GENERATION ARE INTERESTED HOPE AND THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.

AND SO I THINK THAT CONTINUING TO WORK WITH FACILITIES TOO, MAYBE DO OUTREACH THAT CAN DECREASE STIGMA ANY WAY WOULD BE WHAT I WANT TO DO.

SO LET'S BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.

YOU WERE HOME SCHOOLED, WHICH IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING FORMS OF EDUCATION IN THE U.S. >> TELL US HOW THAT WORKS FOR YOU AND HOW YOU THINK IT CONTRIBUTED TO YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS SO ME AND MY MOM IS UP EVERY DAY AS EARLY AS WHATEVER STARBUCKS WILL GO TO THE STUDY ROOM APARTMENT WOULD WAKE UP AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

GET AS MANY COURSES OUT THE WAY AS POSSIBLE.

AND THAT MOMENT AND THEN WE DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN THE NEXT DAY.

I THINK HAVING THAT CONTROL OF MY SCHEDULE IS PROBABLY WHAT MADE THE HOMESCHOOL LIKE THIS FOR ME, I WOULD IMAGINE IF YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GIFTED OR ACCELERATED LERNER AND BEING TAUGHT ON YOUR OWN BY YOUR MOM THAN THAT, YOU CAN PROBABLY >> MOVE ALONG IN YOUR COURSEWORK MUCH FASTER AS WELL.

YES, HAVING YOUR OWN LIKE CHOICE TO JUST GO WITH WHATEVER PIECE YOU WOULD LIKE.

>> DEFINITELY GAVE ME A LOT MORE CONTROL AND AT THE MENIE EDUCATION.

WANT SO THEN.

>> YOU'RE TAKING COLLEGE CLASSES, THOUGH, BY AGE 10.

SO HOW DID YOU GO FROM, YOU KNOW, HOME-SCHOOLING HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM, OF COURSE, FOR A 10 YEAR-OLD.

SO TAKING COLLEGE WELL, MY HOME SCHOOL WHEN I WAS ON LINE FOR REGULAR CURRICULUM WAS MY HIGH SCHOOL ONLINE PROGRAM.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I KIND OF DID ONLINE AFTER FINISHING UP MY HOURS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL SO CAN MOVE ON TO THAT.

I I DID THAT AND WE MOVED ON TO THE ASSOCIATES PROGRAMS.

THOSE KIND OF A MOM'S GOAL TO MOVE INTO THE COLLEGE PROGRAM IN BUT LIKE LEARNING KIND OF TOOK ON A DIFFERENT FORM, THEN.

>> AT WHAT POINT DID SHE REALIZE?

YOU KNOW, MY KID IS KIDS A LITTLE BIT AND WE NEED TO UPGRADE TO SOME COLLEGE LEVEL CLASSES AND START EARNING DEGREES.

LOOKS WHAT GOING FLIP THAT SWITCH SOME POINT?

WELL, I THINK THAT AFTER MY GIFTED KIDS SCHOOL THAT I WAS GOING TO KIND OF REABSORBED INTO ANOTHER SCHOOL AND I WASN'T ENJOYING EDUCATION BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE.

I COULDN'T LEARN LIKE AS MANY THINGS AS I WANTED TO LIKE.

THEY WEREN'T GIVING NEED TO WORK IN A WAY THAT I COULD LIKE ABSORB IT AS WELL.

SHE KIND OF WAS LIKE I WE'VE GOT TO TAKE YOU OUT DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

OKAY.

MOMS IDEA WITH FAKE MOM FOR THAT OF COURSE, THEN BY 12 YOU HAD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN 14.

YOU HAD YOUR AND SO I'M GUESSING THAT WAS THE SAME PROCESS KIND OF APPLIED THROUGHOUT.

JUST KEEP IT GOING.

YES, IT WAS THE ONLINE PROCESS IS KIND OF OFF THROUGHOUT.

IT MAY BE WAS DIFFERENT BASED ON A PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I DID DO A BIT MORE IN-PERSON PROCTOR ING WHEN I WAS GETTING MY SO AND THAT'S SCREEN THAT MY MASTER'S MY PH D. >> BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT WAS KIND OF THE SAME FORM.

>> YOU'RE ALSO AN ENTREPRENEUR.

TELL US ABOUT DOROTHY GENIUS STEAM LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.

YES.

SO THE DORKY GENIUS TEAM LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IS A LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE THAT IS HELPING YOU FIND A PATHWAY TO THEIR DREAMS THROUGH STEAM.

AND SO WHETHER THAT MAY ARTS OR TECHNOLOGY OR ENGINEERING, WE'RE HELPING THEM FIND A PATHWAY THROUGH THAT UMBRELLA OF STATE BECAUSE EVERYTHING FALLS UNDER THAT UMBRELLA SOMEHOW AND WE SHOULD CLARIFY STEAM.

A LOT OF FOLKS ARE FAMILIAR WITH STEM BUT STEAM IS STEM, INCLUDING THE ARTS.

KNOWLEDGE.

ENGINEERING ARTS AND SO A LOT OF LONGTIME CHICAGO TONIGHT VIEWERS, THEY WILL KNOW YOUR GRANDMOTHER.

OF DOROTHY TILLMAN, FORMER ALDERWOMAN FOR WHOM YOU ARE HOW WOULD YOU SAY SHE SHAPED OR INSPIRED WHAT YOU DO TODAY?

I THINK THAT WAKING UP.

>> SO MANY MORNINGS IN GOING DOWNSTAIRS TO SEE MY GREAT LIKE TALKING AT THE KITCHEN TABLE.

WHETHER TOMORROW, MOM OR TV ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WHETHER IT WAS TO ME TEACHING ME SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT LESSON.

I THINK EVERY DAY IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD A TRAILBLAZER LIKE THAT IN MY HOME IN THE KNOWLEDGE HAS NOT STOPPED COMING.

>> OF SO OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS BEHIND YOU STILL DO SOME TYPICAL TEEN STUFF.

DEFINITELY WOULD SAY I DO.

I'M I'M IN A STRUGGLE AGAINST GROUP THE HAPPINESS AND SO GETTING TO BE WITH MY PEERS.

THEY'RE DEFINITELY KEEPS ME LIKE.

>> IN MY REGULAR, LIKE TEEN MINDSET, GETTING THE HANG OUT WITH ALL OF MY INCHES, GO OUT AND DO THE SAME THINGS THAT PEOPLE PEERS DO BECAUSE I'M HANGING OUT WITH THEM DEFINITELY LIKE SOMETHING.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK I BUT IS LIKE EVERY DAY, RIGHT?

DOING SOME TIK TOKS.

YEAH.

DOING TAKE GOING TO THE MALL LIKE HANGING OUT MY BEING CHAIR LIKE ON THE ROOM THAT THE HOUSE EVERYBODY WANTS COME OVER ON D LIGHTS.

UNLIKE BUT EXPIRE, PROJECTORS.

AND SO IT'S LIKE PAYING ON A POINT, OF COURSE, LIKE LIKE A NORMAL 17 YEAR-OLD.

SO.

>> AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS MIGHT SEE ALL OF YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS, PARTICULARLY AT A YOUNG AGE AS PRETTY INTIMIDATING.

HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT AND WHAT DO YOU WANT FOLKS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I THINK MAKING IT CLEAR THAT I'M VERY MUCH SO A REAL PERSON UPS AND DOWNS COMING DOWN WITH SOMETHING LIKE TODAY LIKE.

>> IT'S IT'S DEFINITELY MAKING SURE THAT A LOT OF PARENTS KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF I WOULD WANT SHARE MY STORY AND THE LIKE, HEY, LOOK THIS KID IS DOING DO THIS.

IT WOULD I WANT SHARE MY STORY AND THE LIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING I COULD BE DOING AS A PARENT TO SUPPORT YOU MORE TO HELP YOU MORE AS WE CAN BE A BETTER TEAM.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING MY MOM THERE HAVING THAT SUPPORT IS WHAT MADE IT LIKE YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?

I THINK WHAT'S NEXT FOR ME IS, OF COURSE, CONTINUING MY STEAM CAMP IN CONTINUING TO GROW THAT IN THE QUALITY OF IT AND POSSIBLY FRANCHISE IT ONE DAY DEFINITELY WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOUTH IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND IN 12 SPACES ABOUT JUST INCREASING THEIR OWN SEGMENT BECAUSE IT IS NORMAL FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE LIKE THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE HAPPY WHEN YEARS HAD WHEN YOU'RE ANGRY, ALL OF IT IS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

AND SO I JUST THINK THAT NEXT FOR ME IS DEFINITELY TRAVELING.

LEARNING MORE ABOUT MYSELF, BUT CONTINUING ON MY WAS SHIPPED, RAINY AND INTEGRATING THAT WITH MY DEGREE LAFER GAP YEAR.

BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY TAKE SOME TIME OFF RIGHT AFTER ALL OF IT.

IT'S DEFINITELY A