In support of the International Girls in ICT Day
Compulsory Peace & ICTs Education Campaign from Kindergarten to K-12, and Beyond #CompulsoryPeaceICTEdu
Theme: “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future“
Session Theme: “ICTs, AI & Space Tech for Girls“
Dedicated to Pioneer of the GPS Dr. Gladys B. West

Youth Category~Delivered Opening Remarks:
Renee Robinson, “Standing with Strength: Gladys West’s Life in STEM“;
Freshman in the Science and Engineering Program at Manalapan High School, USA.

This session is organized in support of the global International Girls in ICT Day. As part of our commitment to the Compulsory Peace & ICTs Education campaign, we have dedicated this year’s proceedings to the pioneering legacy of Dr. Gladys B. West, whose work in satellite geodesy forms the bedrock of modern digital navigation. – LMGlobal.Org

Introduction:

[LMGlobal.Org, New York] A small farm girl, a world full of hate, and a heart full of hope. Whose society told her she couldn’t and wouldn’t succeed, but whose dedication navigated her to the hilltops of success.

This portrays the life of Glady’s West, a profound revolutionary whose similar love for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as many that are listening today drove her dedication to growth.

Early life:
West’s successes all began with a dream. A hope for change. A belief that she could and would do anything she set her mind to. When she was born in the modest town of Sutherland, Virginia in Dinwiddie County on October 27th, 1930 her future seemed fated for few achievements outside her family farm. Born at the beginning of The Great Depression, her family, like many others, were poor and lacked the resources needed to change their circumstances. Moreover, West was born into the inequality of the Jim Crow South, where discrimination made her plausible opportunities seem dull in comparison to her white counterparts.

In a one-room schoolhouse with second hand books that were missing pages, old furniture that was falling apart, and leaking ceilings , West went to school in a separate and unequal society. Everyday she “wished and dreamed” of being able to have “more books, more classrooms, more teachers”* and a way away from the small farm life she knew, so her “big city dreams” could blossom. No matter how substandard these conditions were, West knew from an early age that her education was the only outlet for her to be able to achieve more. Through utilizing the resources she had, the tireless work she put into every day at school, every opportunity she was provided, and every success she could attain in that schoolhouse West paved her own path. In Dinwiddie Training School, her segregated high school, she “pushe[ed herself] day by day, month by month” to be the best student. She realized how hard it would be for her to get a proper education, due to racial discrimination, her economic status, and her gender, but she didn’t let any of those uncontrollable factors stop her.

Conversely, she used the doubt of others as a motivator for the factor she could control – her diligence. With this diligence, she had the material needed to build wings and fly above everyone’s expectations for her. It was this very drive that fueled her to become the valedictorian of that training school.

Because of this she was able to receive a scholarship to college, without which her family wouldn’t have been able to afford. Her love for mathematics, specifically geometry, grew and thrived in that Dinwiddie training school, and from there on she knew that her ticket away from the tobacco field of Sutherland was in the strength of her mind.

Early Career:
After high school, West used her scholarship to attend Virginia State College, where she got a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1952. As a further testament to Gladys West’s dedication, she worked as a babysitter and public school teacher in order to fund her education.

In 1955, West completed her masters degree in mathematics. Immediately after college, West began teaching high school math in Martinsville, Virginia, but she felt like her life had a bigger plan, and she saw teaching as a step to becoming the “best mathematician [she] could be”.

Thus, when she got a job opportunity at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgreen ,Virginia as a “Human Computer”, she was excited to accept it. She saw this job prospect as “the beginning of [her] career” and West’s employment at this facility was monumental. She was one of four African Americans workers on the base and the second black female to be hired.

As a human computer, West worked to precisely compute complicated calculations for many of the projects done on the base. One of the first assignments West completed was studying the relational orbits of Pluto and Neptune.The quality of West’s work enabled her to become the project manager of the Seasat radar altimetry project. The Seasat was an early satellite that measured the movement and activity of Earth’s oceans. Such a project created the framework for modern satellites that measure many characteristics of Earth today, by providing an accurate geoid or model of Earth.

Accomplishments:
This work created the foundation for a system that many of you know and love – The GPS. This Global Positioning System used the topographic maps obtained by West and her team to locate landmarks and locations with pin point accuracy. This GPS system has guided emergency response workers, provided life saving capabilities and aids us in exploring the world everyday.

Furthermore, the work West did for the Navy provided profound advancements in the weapon systems seen today. However, no matter how great these accomplishments were, West’s work went unnoticed for almost 60 years. Even without this recognition, West’s yearning for knowledge didn’t end; At the age of 70, West got her doctorate degree in public administration and policy affairs.

Thanks to the assistance of close friends and relatives, the dedicated accomplishments and story of Dr. West was shared with the world in 2018 – 20 years after she retired. After this recognition, West gained many awards including being the first black women inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame, and the first women awarded the Prince Philip Medal by The Royal Academy of Engineering. Her life was filled with many great achievements.

The Legacy She Leaves Behind:
The life of Dr. West didn’t end its effect on the world when she died four months ago on January 17th, 2026 at the age of 95. The legacy she has left will never fade in importance. Dr. West demonstrated that there is no barrier that prevents achievement if a person works hard. When no one offered her a seat at the table Gladys West built her own. She blazed a trail for the young scientists across this nation. Those who have been dealt a poor hand by the world; by the biases it holds against them, by the inequality it brews, or even by the lack of resources some are provided. Additionally, West demonstrated the value and success different perspectives and viewpoints can have on all careers, especially those in science and technology. When groups of people from all different backgrounds join together, they can solve the problems that plague this planet.

Call to action:
Through this, Wests proved to us all that every young person interested in STEM should follow that passion, with unwavering faith in the strength of hope and diligence. If Dr. West gave up, our world would have lacked this revolutionary invention for decades and minorities interested in the STEM field, like me, would have fewer role models to look up to. If all those with prospects in STEM hold onto that dream and never let naysayers deter their hard work, then our world would be filled with some of the best innovators and be a better place for the generations to come. It is also important for our society as a whole to support the young scientists across this nation. By ensuring they have opportunities to gain education through passing proper legislation that protects all of the future researchers, scientists and engineers. Because no matter where a child is from, or believes, or looks like, they should be provided the resources to work hard and pursue their dreams.

https://www.lmglobal.org/2026/04/04/empower-the-future-an-invitation-to-the-international-girls-in-ict-day-2026-virtual-session-for-april-25-at-1100-a-m-edt