Leading the Change: A Conversation with Dorothy Jean Tillman II
View the recording of our Women’s History Month Premiere here.
Join Excelsior University, the Center for Social Justice, and the Women’s Rope Team in celebrating this year’s Women’s History Month through our premiere of Leading the Change, an inspiring keynote from 2018 Excelsior University graduate and 2025 Ever Upward Award honoree Dorothy Jean Tillman II, DBH. In this conversation, Tillman reflects on her extraordinary path—from entering college at age 10 to earning her doctorate at 17—and shares a powerful message: leadership is not something you wait for, it is something you practice today.
Tillman is a globally recognized speaker, community leader, and the founder and CEO of the Dorothyjeanius STEAM Leadership Institute, which creates pathways for underrepresented students to succeed in fields related to science, technology, engineering, art, and math. She made national headlines by being the youngest person to ever graduate from Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions Doctor of Behavioral Health program.
The keynote is followed by an interactive fireside chat with Tillman exploring the impact of education, entrepreneurship, mental wellness, and sustainable community leadership in shaping a better future. Her story aligns closely with the 2026 Women’s History Month theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” which honors women who are redesigning environmental, economic, and educational systems to build long-term resilience and equity.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with us by viewing and engaging in this uplifting conversation about possibility, purpose, and leadership in action.