Senior Engineer Brianna Tijerina and Distribution Project Design Engineer Cassie Hurtado are using their passion for engineering and commitment to mentorship to encourage more young women to exploer careers in the field while helping deliver safe, reliable power to the communities AEP Texas serves.

Tijerina credits a middle school math teacher and retired petroleum engineer with inspiring her to pursue engineering. Nearly seven years ito her career, she now oversees transmission outage planning and power-flow analyses and says earning her Professional Engineer license remains one of her proudest accomplishments. She also mentors fellow engineers, including Hurtado, ehlping guide the next generation of talent.

Hurtado, who has been an engineer for two years, supports projects that improve the construction and reliability of AEP Texas' electric system. She says engineering is about creating solutions that improve people's lives, and credits Tijerina's guidance for helping shape her career. Together, the two engineers hope their stories encourage more women to pursue careers in engineering and make a lasting impact in their communities.