Yes, actually.
The deliberate engineering of role models in key environments is a tactic that's being used more commonly, to great success, among those interested in actually promoting diversity in recalcitrant fields without having to invoke new bigotries in the form of affirmative action and special treatment (which are generally counterproductive - if your demographic gets special treatment, it has a detrimental effect on the quality of your credentials) - as it turns out, the only thing a lot of young people need to get inspired for nontraditional careers is to see someone like them being successful in something they never even considered before - and perhaps most importantly, being admired and respected for it.
My personal experience involves taking highly successful and motivated 'nontraditionals' in the fields of engineering and research physics (women, who are drastically underrepresented, and also certain racial demographics in similar situations) and simply exposing high schools that export large numbers of college students to demographically diverse role models talking about their careers. The effect is surprising to those unfamiliar with it - the effect is immediate, significant, and lasting.
While I don't have direct experience with similar efforts in fields where men are underrepresented (e.g. medicine, early education, social services, etc.), I've read quite a bit coming out of those fields suggesting similar successes. This is absolutely a method we should be utilizing more.
