"Most of the time I liked school and got good grades. In junior high, though, I hit a stumbling block with math - I used to come home and cry because of how frustrated I was! But after a few good teachers and a lot of perseverance, I ended up loving math and even choosing it as a major when I got to college."

"What I got which was unusual, especially as a child actress, was parents who believed that Hollywood was not that important. They told us education, family, health, all come first and they meant it."

"I didn't think that college math was for me. I didn't think I'd be able to hack it. And that perception of math not being for girls, not being for girls who see themselves as socially well adjusted has got to change."

"I want to help middle-school girls stay interested in math and be good at it, and see it as friendly and accessible and not this scary thing. Everyone else in society tells them it's not for them. It's for nerdy white guys with pocket protectors."

"The only limit to human potential is hope is the anchor of a weary soul."

"In the depths of adversity, every failure is just a stepping stone to greatness."

"I was raised to believe that excellence is the best deterrent to racism or sexism. And that's how I operate my life."

"Man's greatness consists in his ability to do and the proper application of his powers to things needed to be done."