Sophia Spencer loves insects, especially grasshoppers. The 9-year-old from Ontario, Canada, often gives them a ride on her shoulder.
But some students teased Sophia for her love of bugs. This made her doubt her hobby. So Sophia’s mom wrote to a group of insect scientists called the Entomological Society of Canada. The organization asked people for help on Twitter using the hashtag #BugsR4Girls.
More than 1,000 people responded. The fellow bug lovers offered to give Sophia nets to catch insects, tours of their labs, and advice.
“It felt good to have so many people support me, and it was cool to see other girls and grown-ups studying bugs. It made me feel like I could do it too,” Sophia says.