Danica McKellar - Math Doesn't Suck

For those of us growing up in the late 80s - early 90s, Winnie Cooper was a household name. She was Kevin Arnold's dream girl in the comedy-drama television series, The Wonder Years, and his awkward, clumsy attempts to win her over were a staple of the shows six seasons.

Winnie Cooper may have faded from the big screen when The Wonder Years was cancelled, but Danica McKellar, the actress who played her, has moved on. Unlike so many of Hollywood's one-time childhood stars, she does not dwell on the past, she hasn't become addicted to crack, and she isn't involved in scandelous activities that grace the front pages of checkout-line newspapers.

Danica went on to major in mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1998. She provides free online math tutoring for her fans at her official internet website, and she is also the author of Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail.

In an interview, Danica told us that she wrote the book "to show girls that math is accessible, relevant, and even a little glamorous and to counteract damaging social messages telling young girls that math and science aren't for them."

While actresses like Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton portray glamour and fame as a series of irresponsible tabloid mishaps, Danica wants to show them that being smart and responsible is glamorous, too.

"Being good at math is cool. And not only that, it can help them get what they want out of life."

Research shows that it is in middle school where math scores begin to drop, especially for females, due to the social conditioning that tells kids that math isn't cool. Danica McKellar is a breath of fresh air and a role model for young girls to embrace. She professes that it's okay to be smart. In fact, it's damn sexy to be smart.

After checking out her pictures in Stuff Magazine, we have to agree. Winnie Cooper may be all grown up, but if Kevin Arnold could see her now, he'd be scrambling to find his old algebra textbook.