Dr. West is one of the master minds behind GPS and received an ultimate honor on December 6, 2018 at 87-years old. Dr. West was inducted into the United States Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Pentagon. Born and raised in Virginia, she was very determined to get her education. She knew that she didn’t want to work in the fields as her parents did. In her own words, she says “I realized I had to get an education to get out.” She received a master’s degree in Math and is employed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, where she is the second African-American woman ever to be hired.