As is the case with many of the issues that The Optimist Daily covers, solving issues like racial or gender inequality is not something that happens overnight. Progress comes in the form of small steps from around the world, which form a big impact altogether.

One hugely positive development we’ve seen on the gender equality front is the uptick in women winning elections for prominent positions. Last April, we wrote a story about the election of Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot, the first African American and openly LGBTQ mayor of the city. Today, we bring you another exciting development from one of America’s most prestigious schools:  the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Earlier this month, students at MIT elected a black woman as president of the Undergraduate Association for the first time in the school’s history. About six percent of undergraduates at MIT are black and 47 percent are women, according to the school. Danielle Geathers and running mate Yu Jing Chen won the student government election, and plan to use their platform to make the school as inclusive as possible.

“Although some people think it is just a figurehead role, figureheads can matter in terms of people seeing themselves in terms of representation,” Geathers said. “Seeing yourself at a college is kind of an important part of the admissions process.”