Photo via: Chicago Tribune
After being homeschooled and starting college at 11-years-old, Thessalonika Arzu-Embry is still miles ahead of her peers academically. At just 17-years-old, the Illinois native is now on track to earn her Ph.D.
In fall 2016, Arzu-Embry started a Ph.D. program in aviation psychology. Her interest in aviation was sparked by her father, a military veteran and private pilot, who now works at O’Hare International Airport.
“When I began to think about a profession, I chose one where I could make an impact,” Black Doctor reports her saying. “I feel honored for the opportunity to help others at an early age.”
The 17-year-old scholar says she plans to write her dissertation on dreams, and hopes that her aviation psychology degree will give her the knowledge needed to prevent “human factor errors” that can cause plane crashes. She says the psychology aspect will help her to understand if a pilot is agitated, stressed out or dealing with other issues that can negatively impact their performance on the job.
In addition to being on the fast track to earning her doctorate, Azru-Embry is also pursuing various business ventures. Aside from developing apps for Google and Apple systems, she is pushing the five books she’s written and attending speaking engagements to inspire other people to do what she’s doing. So far, her published books include “Settled: Justice for All,” “In the Future,” “Then Genius Race,” “Jump the Education Barrier,” and “Perspicacious Investing.”
As you can see, Thessalonika has already accomplished a lot, and she’s just getting started. Next up: Dr. Arzu-Embry.