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Uplift: Recognizing Dr. Gladys West's significant contribtions to GPS technology and importance of June 19th.

Best of The Steve Harvey Morning Show
Best of The Steve Harvey Morning Show
Episode • Feb 8 • 30m

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Jacque Rushin & Robyn Donaldson.

ROBYN DONALDSON & JACKIE RUSHIN

🎙️ Podcast Overview
This special Juneteenth episode of Money Making Conversations Masterclass, hosted by Rushion McDonald, features Dr. Jacque Rushin and Robyn Donladson, two award-winning educators and thought leaders. The episode commemorates the legacy of Dr. Gladys B. West, a pioneering mathematician whose calculations led to the creation of GPS. Together, the guests discuss how her story ties into the mission of Juneteenth, the importance of STEM education, and their newly launched Westward Bound life and STEM skills program.

📚 About Dr. Gladys B. West
Legacy: Mathematician and GPS pioneer
Era: Born in 1930, came of age during segregation
Alma Mater: Virginia State University (HBCU), later earned a PhD
Recognition: Often called a “living hidden figure”—though not featured in the Hidden Figures film
Current Home: Fredericksburg, VA

📘 Books Discussed
It Began With a Dream: Dr. West’s memoir, chronicling her life from sharecropping roots to GPS trailblazer
Westward Bound: A curriculum-based program developed by Dunson and Rushing inspired by Dr. West’s principles

💡 Key Themes & Insights
Juneteenth Connection: The delayed recognition of Dr. West mirrors the delayed liberation of enslaved Black Americans
STEM Equity: Many students aren’t underperforming—they’re underexposed. The Westward Bound program seeks to close that gap
Mental Health & Tech: While Dr. West helped pioneer GPS, she herself still uses maps to keep her mind sharp—a warning about over-reliance on tech
AI & Overconsumption: Dr. Rushin draws attention to how misuse of AI and technology can impair critical thinking and mental wellness
STEM as Liberation: STEM exposure is not just about careers—it’s a path to freedom, agency, and long-term resilience

🎓 About Westward Bound
Mission: Teach not just hard skills (STEM) but soul skills—endurance, vision, self-awareness, and purpose
Framework: Uses the acronym W.E.S.T. (Wisdom, Endurance, Strategy, Tracking)
Audience: Underserved communities, students, adults in transition, entrepreneurs
Access: Currently partnering with colleges, camps, and educational programs nationwide

🔁 Personal Journeys
Dr. Jacque Rushin: A humanitarian, mental health expert, and curriculum developer who fuses wellness and educational development
Robyn Donaldson: A global STEM advocate and 2025 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. She discovered Dr. West’s book and launched the movement to amplify her story

📣 Call to Action
Listeners are encouraged to include Dr. Gladys West in Juneteenth programming, integrate It Began With a Dream into school libraries, and explore the Westward Bound program as a tool for transformative education. Visit stemxposure.org or call (813) 990‑7700 for more info. #best

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