Nerd Girls Save The World: 17 Of Pop Culture’s Greatest Female Geeks

Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) in Ugly Betty (Image via ABC)

9. Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty)

Okay, so you’ve seen the picture above and sighed a little. Who still lets people create nerd characters that look like such a stereotype? Did we really need the glasses, for instance?

Hold on, though. Betty Suarez is, after all, on a show called Ugly Betty that purposefully plays with such stereotypes. She’s also a deeper character than some of her classic nerd accouterments might first suggest.

Young Betty was, unsurprisingly, an awkward high-achiever. She graduated near the top of her class and, in junior high school, received a Good Citizens award. She also played a rock in the school play. Other nerdy activities undertaken by Betty included planning an “anti-prom” and taking on the mantle of the school mascot.

As an aspiring journalist, Betty (played by America Ferrera) collected all the accolades and professional titles she could. She has been yearbook editor, treasurer of the Latina Women’s League, and multiple internships. Betty is fluent in English and Spanish, with a smattering of Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese in her arsenal.

She’s also been a coordinator for her Neighborhood Watch, a math tutor, a member of the local historical society, a batgirl for the Mets, and a chamber singer. I’m honestly exhausted just by reading that list.

In the end, Betty refuses to sacrifice her hard-won values in the cutthroat worlds of fashion and journalism. Perhaps the best lesson learned from Ugly Betty is the importance of sticking to your values and refusing to apologize for your inherent nerdiness.