I just feel I have to emphasize what a phenomenal and unlikely life Danica McKellar has carved out for herself. After spending her childhood starring as the beautiful girl next door on The Wonder Years, she decided that instead of becoming a drug addict or attempting to release an ill-fated album, she would go to college. And study mathematics at UCLA. She graduated summa cum laude. I don’t know that the average person understands just how difficult it is to graduate summa cum laude in mathematics from UCLA. But as someone who has taken mathematics courses at UCLA and did not graduate summa cum laude, I’m in a unique position to tell you that this is an insanely impressive accomplishment. As an undergrad, she also co-authored a scientific paper, culminating in something called the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem. I dare you to name another child star who has a fucking mathematical theorem named after them.
And THEN she went on to write two books that encourage young women to love and learn mathematics. They’re titled Math Doesn’t Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail and Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss. Both books have held steady on the New York Times best-seller list. Amazing. Just amazing. Needless to say, this woman is my hero.
So I am DELIGHTED to hear she’s been able to add true love to the list of blessings in her life. Danica married composer Mike Verta in a ceremony Sunday in the California seaside town La Jolla. The two had been dating since 2001, and got engaged this summer.
Congratulations, Danica. I wish you all the best. May you serve as an example for young women everywhere.
Yay! I may be lousy at math myself, but I consider her an inspiration all the same. She’s awesome and I’m just sorry her books weren’t around when I was struggling in algebra class.
I totally agree with you, Beet. It’s great to see other woman who can be a exemple that you always can accomplish more, and that having looks and brain is possible! (you are an example yourself!)
She seems SO sweet too…in addition to being brilliant. And I know it shouldn’t matter, but she is so beautiful it just makes me happy. She has a certain accessible beauty, the kind where girls still like you and boys aren’t terrified to strike up a conversation.
Yay for someone girls should actually look up to! That story really made me feel inspired :-).
She seems so sweet, also, in addition to being brilliant. It shouldn’t matter, but she is so beautiful it just makes me happy. But she has a certain accessible beauty, the kind where girls still like her, and boys aren’t afraid to strike up a conversation.
Wow, that could be describing Beet too!
You go, Danica! I am a math fraud myself (people assume I must know some, but I don’t). Some (OK, a lot) of it’s due to my own innate laziness, but some of it is because I never received an atom of encouragement or help with it in school. It just used to baffle me and I was baffled alone. How I wish I’d had a role model like her!
I also hold Danica in high regard. Having a math theory (hell, any kind of theory) named after you is just all kinds of awesome. Come on! Everybody do the “Winnie!” Toss your obscenely long hair over your shoulder and say “Kevin!” in a whiny, scolding voice.
this post made my day :D
Nice. She should write a book about how NOT to be a messed up entitled Hollywood brat and send a copy to Lindsay Lohan.
She looks great too, classy.
So refreshing after reading about Avril and Lindsay.
She’s the Jodie Foster (Yale-B.A. in literature and graduated magna cum laude) and Brooke Shields (Princeton-a degree in French literature) of her generation.
Amazing! My respects to her.
Holy freakin cow! I’m currently a UCLA student and can not even IMAGINE graduating summa cum laude. She’s adorable AND smart. I love it!
She IS awesome! Classy, intelligent, seemingly down to earth and making an effort ot make math easier for people/girls.
AND she still has her acting chops! I liked her little cameo/role in the How I Met Your Mother the Pineapple Incident episode, one of my favs!
What a desperately needed (in Hollywood) breath of fresh air this gal is!
Now, THIS girl should be considered a role model…..not that disease-ridden, fame-whore Paris, or Coke-head, crazy Lindsey, or head-shavin’ Britney.
Someone needs to pin Danica down, extract her DNA and replicate this lovely girl post-haste!
CONGRATS & GOOD LUCK DANICA/WINNIE!!!
where was she when i was 12?!!
:-D Awesome! Thanks for drawing my attention to this amazing young woman, Beet.
Danica/Winnie Cooper ROCKS! A truly inspirational young woman and a breath of fresh air in superficial Hollywood.
and to think, i used to fantasize about her during my teen years….