Ashlee Nicole Tillery
40 Under 40 honoree pays it forward by giving back
Ashlee Nicole Tillery
40 Under 40 honoree pays it forward by giving back
“It is so rewarding to see what the students do with the Tillery endowment, and so meaningful to see that the Chapel Bell rings on. Giving [those students] opportunities is something that offers a tangible return on investment—if not immediately, then in the near future.”
—Ashlee Nicole Tillery (BSA ’13)
When Dr. Ashlee Nicole Tillery (BSA ’13) thinks back on her time at the University of Georgia, the medical doctor and current 40 Under 40 honoree, has a lot to be thankful for. “UGA really set me up for my future,” Ashlee Nicole said. “All of my meaningful, formative experiences at an age where I was so impressionable and learning who I wanted to be—all of that happened for me in Athens.”
After a pivotal experience participating in the International Science and Engineering Fair as a high school senior, Ashlee Nicole began to rethink her plans to major in political science at UGA. A sorority sister connected her to Karl Espelie, professor emeritus of entomology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, who advised her through the decision to focus on biological sciences.
Ashlee Nicole with her father, Mark Sharer (RPH ’79), at the 2023 SEC Championship.
It was a decision that would ultimately set Ashlee Nicole on a path to her future. After medical school at the Medical College of Georgia and residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, she made a name for herself as an OB-GYN in Vidalia, Georgia – not very far from where she and her now-husband, Blake Tillery (AB ’06, JD ’10) grew up.
“I like to tell people that OB found me, I did not find it,” Ashlee Nicole explained. Obstetrics-gynecology offers a unique day-to-day that she says can be difficult to find in other fields. From delivering babies one day to ER consulting the next day, the variation keeps things exciting.
Another thing to love about her profession? There’s a multi-generational aspect to working in a small town, Ashlee Nicole explained. “I could treat a grandmother one day, her daughter the next, and the granddaughter the next day,” she laughed. “This is what I was meant to do.”
Ashlee Nicole and Blake Tillery hope to pass their love of UGA and philanthropy on to their tiniest Bulldog, John.
Ashlee Nicole makes sure to note that she was not alone on her journey from UGA student to career professional. Many of the opportunities she was able to take advantage of were due to the generosity of alumni and donors. This led her and her husband to establish the Tillery Family Award Endowment in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, an exit award for the most outstanding honors student in CAES.
“These students, their research and participation in CURO in particular, have blown me away,” Ashlee Nicole said. “I’ve been extremely impressed by the caliber of students that this fund has been able to bring to light.”
The opportunity to help educate Georgia’s brightest students is as rewarding to Tillery as planting a seed and seeing it grow. “Giving [those students] opportunities is something that offers a tangible return on investment—if not immediately, then in the near future.”
– Written by Rachael Andrews
