Delaney Saunders
Engineering Her
Own Path
Petroleum Engineering · Fourth-Year Student
A Crowning Moment
Delaney Saunders, a fourth-year petroleum engineering student, was named the 2026 Homecoming Queen.
“When they called my name, I was so surprised,” said Delaney. “I just looked at my dad, and he looked at me. My heart was racing, and I asked him, ‘Did they just say my name?’”
That experience now sits at the top of Delaney’s list of favorite memories at Texas Tech, with the Carol of Lights coming in second.
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Delaney, who is from Midland, is the first in her family to attend Texas Tech University. She attended a small school in Grady, Texas, and graduated with a class of 20 students.
“In high school, I thought I wanted to become a nurse, and I completed my certified nursing assistant (CNA) before I graduated. I was always good in math and science, and my parents asked me to think about engineering as an option,” Delaney recalled.
“At first, I wasn’t interested—I didn’t ever see any women in engineering careers. But every day on the way back and forth to school, I would pass by pumpjacks and oil service companies, and I started to think if being a girl was the only thing keeping me from considering engineering, that wasn’t a good reason. And here I am.”
Delaney’s can-do attitude spills over into everything she does. Even with the rigors of her engineering coursework, Delaney has found time to be an active contributor to her Texas Tech community.
She’s the 2026–2027 president of Kappa Alpha Theta, serves as the co-director of public relations for the Student Government Association, and is the director of marketing for Young Professionals for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).
In addition, she has completed three petroleum engineering internships, one with Chevron and two with Exxon.
“I’d tell students who are thinking about engineering as a career and considering Texas Tech: you won’t find a more supportive place to get your degree than Texas Tech,” Delaney said.
2026 Homecoming Ceremony
