STEM West

10/21/2026

10/16/2026

"I'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW FORTY DOLLARS, PLEASE!" — Brenda D.

BELLOWS CREEK BANK — First-grade teacher Mrs. Durbin stopped at the local bank after school Thursday to withdraw $40, but made the request in the voice she uses to quiet 27 students after lunch. The teller, Mr. Garnett, immediately handed over a thousand times the amount in cash, then placed both hands flat on the counter.

Mr. Garnett later told bank officials he "just did what the voice said" and had briefly considered lining up. Three customers in the lobby reportedly stopped talking at once, and one pushed in his chair.

Mrs. Durbin returned the extra $39,960 instantly. The bank has since offered her a part-time position in its collections department.

10/15/2026

⏳ 15 DAYS LEFT! ⏳

The countdown is on! You have exactly 15 days to submit your course proposals for Summer 2027! 🚀

Got a creative course idea? We can't wait to see your proposal and collaborate on designing an unforgettable summer for our students—but time is running out to get yours in!

💡 Key Details:
🗓️ Deadline: Friday, October 30th
💻 Apply Here: www.ncssm.edu/summerjobs (under Instructor Opportunities)
📧 Questions? Reach out to us at [email protected]

Don't wait until the last minute—turn your awesome idea into a course and get those proposals in today! 👇👇

10/08/2026

Explore all 16 University of North Carolina System universities from home during the UNC System Virtual Open House!

Across four live sessions, admissions representatives will highlight academic programs and explain the application process. Current students will share their college experiences and answer questions.

📅 Oct. 5, 6, 12 and 13
🕡 6:30-7:45 p.m. each evening
💻 Live on Zoom

Attend sessions featuring universities already on your list or explore new options across North Carolina.

View the schedule and register at go.northcarolina.edu/openhouse.

10/05/2026

Unbelievable!!

10/05/2026

DR. GLADYS WEST: AN WOMAN MATHEMATICIAN WHO MADE GPS POSSIBLE 🌹♥️♥️

The woman who made GPS possible has taken her final journey.

Dr. Gladys West died at 95. She was the mathematician who built the model of Earth that makes GPS work.

She was born on a Virginia farm in 1930, the daughter of sharecroppers. She picked to***co as a child and walked miles to a one-room school. She made herself valedictorian, earned a full scholarship, and stacked degrees in math until the Navy hired her in 1956.

At the Naval Proving Ground, she programmed computers the size of rooms using punch cards and flow charts. She calculated the shape of Earth, the real shape, lumpy and irregular, precise enough that satellites could use it to tell you exactly where you are at any moment. That work became GPS.

She retired after 42 years. Then she had a stroke at 70, recovered, and earned a PhD from Virginia Tech.

For most of her life, no one knew her name. Her work was classified. She didn't even tell her kids. Then a friend asked for a bio in 2017 and the story came out. Hidden figure, finally seen.

She never used GPS herself. Preferred paper maps. "If I can see the road and see where it turns," she said, "I am more sure."

She spent her whole life making sure the rest of us never had to wonder.

Rest in peace, Dr. West.