![]() ![]() West also explained how studying at an HBCU taught her more than the subject knowledge. "Those who did not get their work done because of a lack of effort were sent home. Some of them failed tests and were given the exams over so they could stay in the Ph.D. "I found out I was pretty smart, especially compared to some of my classmates who didn't know as much as I did. However, she found she could hold her own and often performed better than her peers. They had gone to better schools and were afforded better opportunities. at VPI, she assumed her fellow counterparts - many of them highly-educated white men - would be smarter than her. In her memoir, West recounts how while earning her Ph.D. in public administration and policy affairs at 70 years old. Navy at the age of 68, West attended the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) and earned a Ph.D. After retiring in 1998 from her job with the U.S. Navy.ĭuring her long and successful career, West returned to school and earned a second master's degree in public administration from The University of Oklahoma in 1973. In 1956, West was finally offered a job with the U.S. In between earning her degrees, she tried finding a job with the government however, she was unsuccessful due to racial segregation and sexism. Finding Opportunity in the Navyīefore returning for her master's, West worked as a math teacher. It was there that West earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics, finishing up in 1955. Her high academic performance earned her a scholarship to the HBCU Virginia State College - which is now Virginia State University. West worked and studied hard, graduating as valedictorian from her high school. Read More : Who Was Bessie Coleman and What Was She Known For? It wouldn't be long before that dream came true. "Every day, I wished and dreamed of having more - more books, more classrooms, more teachers and more time to dream and imagine what life would be like if only I could fly away from the strenuous and seemingly never-ending work on our family farm," she said in her memoir. But West wanted and knew she was destined for more. She overcame racial barriers in science and math. There weren't many opportunities for young Black women in her community that didn't involve farming or working at a tobacco plant. In her memoir, It Began With A Dream, she recalls walking the three miles to the segregated, one-room schoolhouse "with rusty, decrepit furniture, sometimes leaky ceilings and always hand-me-down books." Challenging Racial Barriers It All Began With a Dreamīorn in 1930 in Sutherland, Virginia, West spent much of her childhood - when not in school - harvesting crops on her family farm. ![]() Without her curious spirit and quest for knowledge, she may never have ended up where she needed to be. Gladys West, was a true pioneer who pushed past racial barriers and contributed to the invention of the GPS. And while we may not give our GPS a second thought once we've reached our destination, there is a fascinating story behind it. ![]() ![]() Having a GPS on our phones makes getting around more efficient. While taking a road trip, looking for that hot new restaurant or looking for your new office building, what tool has come in handy more than a Global Positioning System (GPS)? Maybe a car, but that's beside the point. ![]()
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