Sofia Speaks Up!

Sofia Speaks Up!

When Sofia's mom picked her up from school, she noticed Sofia had been crying.

"Sofia, what's wrong? Did something bad happen at school today?"

Sofia looked down at her backpack. "Mr. Jeffrey is starting a new after-school science club. I really want to be in it, but..."

"But what?" Sofia's mom asked gently.

"Braeden said I couldn't be in the science club because I'm afraid of bugs." Her voice then wavered. "He said it in front of the whole class, and everybody laughed at me! I was so embarrassed."

When they got home, Sofia's mom gave her a big hug. "I have something to show you." She went into her bedroom and came out holding an old photograph. In it was a group of girls about Sofia's age. Sofia's mom pointed to one of the girls. "Do you know who this is?"

Sofia shook her head, but she thought the girl looked familiar.

Sofia's mom smiled. "These are some of my friends from school. They were very special to me, and I want to share a few of their stories with you."

She pointed to one girl in the photo. "This is my friend Tanesha. She loved to paint her fingernails and wear pretty clothes. I can remember she didn't like to go outside and play because she was afraid she would get dirty. Everyone called her a girly-girl and didn't think she was very smart, so that's what she thought, too. Then, one day, Tanesha made up her mind that she wanted to be a fashion designer when she grew up. She studied very hard and learned how to use computer graphic software so she could draw her clothing designs digitally instead of having to draw them on paper. Now she owns her own business and sells her clothes all over the country."

Sofia's mom pointed to another girl in the photo. "This is Mariepaz. She loved to be outside no matter what the weather. Her favorite thing to do during the summer was to go camping with her family and take long hikes along the nature trails. She wasn't afraid of anything in the woods, except snakes. She always knew she wanted to have a job where she helped protect the environment. She studied a lot of plant and animal science, which included snakes, so she could understand how our planet's ecosystems work and how to keep them healthy."

Next, she pointed to a tall, slender girl in the top row. "Now, this is Nambi. She was very athletic and loved to play sports. She was especially good at basketball and soccer, but she would faint at the sight of blood when she or someone else got hurt. People told her she couldn't work in medicine if she was afraid of blood, but she found a way. She began to study math and engineering to learn how to design exercise equipment that would help patients get stronger as they recovered from their injuries."

Sofia's mom then pointed to a girl on the bottom row. "This was my very best friend, Bianca. She loved to be alone where it was quiet so she could concentrate on reading her books. Her family thought she read too many crime novels, but she enjoyed the challenge of trying to figure out what was going to happen before she got to the end of each chapter. Even though she was shy and sometimes afraid to speak out in a group, she decided she wanted to investigate crimes when she grew up. She went to a special school studied forensic science to learn about DNA, fingerprints, and other all the different ways evidence can be collected of collecting evidence from a crime scene. The last time I talked to her, she had just been promoted to lead detective."

Finally, Sofia's mom pointed again to the girl who Sofia had thought looked familiar. "Now, this girl loved animals. She had nine stuffed tigers, one of which she took to school every day in her backpack. She constantly begged her parents to take her to the zoo so she could see the tigers, giraffes, elephants, and sea lions. At home, she had cats, dogs, chickens, and even a parakeet. Even though she didn't think she was very good at math, she decided she wanted to be--"

"An animal nurse!" shouted Sofia, giggling. "That's you, isn't it, Mommy? I remember Nana telling me how many pets you had growing up."

Sofia's mom nodded. "Yes, that's me. I studied science to learn all about how animals grow, how their bodies work, why they behave the way they do, and how to treat them when they are sick. And even though I was a little afraid, I worked really hard in my math classes so I would know how to measure the right amounts of medicine to make them better." She smiled. "Do you know why these stories about my friends and classmates are important?"

Sofia thought for a minute. "I think you and your friends were all afraid of something, but you didn't let it stop you from doing all the things you wanted to when you grew up. Am I right?"

Sophia's mom clapped her hands. "You are absolutely right, Sofia. So, what are you going to tell Mr. Jeffrey when you see him tomorrow?"

Sofia stood up and lifted her fist in the air. "I'm going to tell him that I want to be a part of Science Club! Then, I'm going to tell Braeden to mind his own business and that it doesn't matter if I'm afraid of bugs or not. Science is my thing!"

"That's my girl," said Sofia's mom as she reached out and gave her another big hug.

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