SHELBY BRAJAK
Job Title: Transmission Line Engineer
Company: Commonwealth Associates
Location: Jackson, Mich.
Age: 29; Years on the Job: 7
Interests: Camping, hiking, snowboarding, baking, and spending time with her husband and two dogs, Luna and Pad
As a civil engineering major in college, Shelby Brajak wasn’t planning to work in the electrical industry until closer to graduation.
“I always thought I might work in the oil and gas industry, with my focus being in geotech, but that industry was in somewhat of a downturn as I was completing my degree,” she says. “I was looking for a non-typical civil engineering field that was stable and would have an abundance of work for a very long time.”
With the increasing need for power and the rebuilding of transmission lines, the electrical industry fit her needs perfectly, she says.
“I am very happy with my decision to go into this field,” says Brajak, who was born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. “I think it’s one of the most interesting fields you can be in as a civil engineer.”
Brajak earned an athletic and academic scholarship to Michigan Technology University, where she graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a minor in geological engineering. She passed her FE in her last semester and her PE in the summer of 2021.
When she started, she focused on task-based work for other engineers but is now responsible for the design execution, scope, schedule, and budget. She also has direct reports and mentors younger engineers.
Working in the electric utility industry is a rewarding career that keeps her engaged, she says.
“Every project has its differences, and no two designs are the same, which is something I really enjoy,” she says. “I will continue to mentor young engineers while enhancing my own knowledge and skillset.”
