Miss America: 'Being smart is cool'

Nina Davuluri, a.k.a. Miss America 2014, wants young women to know the value of education. "Being smart is cool," Davuluri said Monday at a roundtable discussion of diversity in STEM education.

Davuluri is in Washington, D.C. this week speaking with teachers and legislators about STEM, Politico reports. She spoke to this year's Einstein Fellows, a group of teachers who spend a year working at Washington agencies like the National Science Foundation, about STEM on Monday.

In addition to being the first Indian American chosen as Miss America, Davuluri has distinguished herself from past winners with her focus on STEM and education. Earlier this year, she spoke at Yale about her passion for intellectual pursuits. Before becoming Miss America, Davuluri studied brain, behavior, and cognitive science at the University of Michigan.

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Davuluri is passionate about increasing diversity in STEM, and she told Morning Education that she wants to be a role model for female students, Politico reports. "Education is the key to success, and we need to make more students see that," Davuluri said. On Wednesday, she will join Attorney General Eric Holder, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough for a "Let's Read! Let's Move!" event to encourage young people to read and exercise during the summer months.