INSTITUTE, W.Va. — West Virginia State University’s celebration of alumna Katherine Johnson enters another year with the annual observance of Katherine Johnson Day on campus.
WVSU recognized Johnson’s legacy with a ceremony Wednesday, the 108th anniversary of her birth, dedicated to the impact she made during her career at NASA as depicted in the film “Hidden Figures.”
“Katherine came to West Virginia State and graduated at 18 years old with degrees in mathematics and in French, and she took that education that she earned here at West Virginia State and went on to work with NASA to help America win the space race,” WVSU President Ericke Cage said.
Wednesday’s ceremony also honored the 2026 Katherine Johnson Scholarship recipients. Johnson Scholarships are awarded annually to female students at WVSU pursuing careers in STEM with an emphasis on West Virginia natives and underrepresented groups.
This year’s Johnson scholars include Natalyia Sayles, Alisha Suhirthataratnasingam, Sierra Scott, Aubrey Turner, and Lyra West.
“I’m so grateful that she led the way for me being able to do this, and I’m very grateful for State for acknowledging my hard work and what I’ve done here,” Turner said.
Turner is a biology pre-med major at State and plans to pursue a career in psychiatry after college. She said Katherine Johnson’s story has inspired her for a long time.
“As soon as the movie came out, I watched it. I think she’s very inspiring. I feel like females, especially females of color, don’t really make it out of West Virginia, so I feel like it was just a great role model and a great representation,” she said.
Cage draws inspiration from Katherine Johnson and tries to hold her up as an example for West Virginia State students each day. He sees her life as a guideline for what a State education can do.
“It tells us that it doesn’t matter where your journey begins, but that it matters whether or not you are willing to put in the work in order to achieve your aspirations, whatever they may be,” Cage said.
More than a century after her birth and nearly 90 years after her graduation from WVSU, Katherine Johnson continues to touch lives on campus each day. Cage wants to see that continue for a long time.
“We’re committed to carrying on Katherine’s life and legacy through our work here at West Virginia State, and our students are testaments to that,” he said.