“You Have to See It to Be It”: Expanding Students’ Perceptions of Who Can Be a Leader

Zoe M. Oxley; Kerri D’Alessandro; Angie Bos; Jill S. Greenlee

“You Have to See It to Be It”: Expanding Students’ Perceptions of Who Can Be a Leader

Zoe M. Oxley
, Kerri D’Alessandro
, Angie Bos
, Jill S. Greenlee

School of Public Service Admininstration

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Nearly 40 years after the passage of Title IX, during a discussion about that gender equality law, tennis legend Billie Jean King said, “You have to see it to be it.” Highlighting athletics alongside careers in STEM, King went on: “If you don’t see enough people that look like you—the kids want to see themselves—then you don’t think you have a chance.”¹ In other words, for children to envision themselves engaging in certain activities or pursuing specific career paths, they need role models who look like them.

Original language	American English
Pages (from-to)	4-10
Number of pages	7
Journal	Social Studies and the Young Learner
Volume	38
Issue number	1
State	Published - Sep 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 5 Gender Equality

Access to Document

https://www.socialstudies.org/social-studies-and-young-learner/38/1/you-have-see-it-be-it-expanding-students-perceptions-who-can

Cite this

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title = "“You Have to See It to Be It”: Expanding Students{\textquoteright} Perceptions of Who Can Be a Leader",

abstract = "Nearly 40 years after the passage of Title IX, during a discussion about that gender equality law, tennis legend Billie Jean King said, “You have to see it to be it.” Highlighting athletics alongside careers in STEM, King went on: “If you don{\textquoteright}t see enough people that look like you—the kids want to see themselves—then you don{\textquoteright}t think you have a chance.”1 In other words, for children to envision themselves engaging in certain activities or pursuing specific career paths, they need role models who look like them.",

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AU - Greenlee, Jill S.

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N2 - Nearly 40 years after the passage of Title IX, during a discussion about that gender equality law, tennis legend Billie Jean King said, “You have to see it to be it.” Highlighting athletics alongside careers in STEM, King went on: “If you don’t see enough people that look like you—the kids want to see themselves—then you don’t think you have a chance.”1 In other words, for children to envision themselves engaging in certain activities or pursuing specific career paths, they need role models who look like them.

AB - Nearly 40 years after the passage of Title IX, during a discussion about that gender equality law, tennis legend Billie Jean King said, “You have to see it to be it.” Highlighting athletics alongside careers in STEM, King went on: “If you don’t see enough people that look like you—the kids want to see themselves—then you don’t think you have a chance.”1 In other words, for children to envision themselves engaging in certain activities or pursuing specific career paths, they need role models who look like them.

M3 - Article

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SP - 4

EP - 10

JO - Social Studies and the Young Learner

JF - Social Studies and the Young Learner

IS - 1

ER -

“You Have to See It to Be It”: Expanding Students’ Perceptions of Who Can Be a Leader

Abstract

UN SDGs

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