At first, Yajaira Aich West ’04 was determined not to attend Transylvania University. Her older sister had graduated just a few years before, and as a first-generation college student from Lexington, she wanted to make her own mark. “She left big shoes to fill,” she said with a smile.
But the campus itself won her over. A tour, a conversation about financial support, the promise of opportunity — together, they changed her mind. “My Transy acceptance letter rose to the top of the pile,” she said. “I am forever grateful I chose Transylvania. My experience was positively life changing.”
That choice set in motion a life of friendship, service and leadership, all grounded in the kind of Transylvania liberal arts education that continues to shape leaders long after graduation.
The first week of college brought more than classes. It brought people. West met several women before the first day, friendships that would become the bedrock of her adult life. Today, the six of them — all Transylvania alumni — still gather every year, their families spilling into one rented house each New Year’s Eve. What began in dorm rooms and classrooms has grown into a tradition spanning decades. “These are friends that have turned into family,” West said.
The classroom offered a different kind of gift. Professors like Julia Poynter in business and Veronica Dean Thacker in Spanish helped West sharpen her thinking and her voice. They taught her how to see the world more broadly, to communicate more clearly and to believe in her ability to lead. “They helped strengthen my communication skills,” she said. Mentorship at Transy, she discovered, can leave a mark that lasts a lifetime.
That career began, fittingly enough, on the road. West’s first job after graduation was with a credit union, where she crisscrossed Kentucky in a branded van opening savings accounts. It was hardly glamorous, but it was experience — and it paved the way to PNC Bank.
Nineteen years later, she is still there, now serving as client and community relations director. Her work has allowed her to shape initiatives like PNC Grow Up Great, which supports children from birth to age 5. She has also dedicated hundreds of volunteer hours to The Nest: Center for Women, Children and Families, where her time has been matched by thousands of dollars in grant funding.
“My role allows me to engage with the community in meaningful ways,” she said. Her story is a clear example of how the Transy student experience builds a lifelong commitment to service.
In 2024, she opened a new chapter. Drawing on her father’s entrepreneurial spirit, she co-founded Spark Insights, a consulting firm that helps nonprofits and businesses develop strategies to grow their impact. The work is challenging and exhilarating, she said, and deeply rewarding. “From name creation to writing the business plan, the experience of creating a new company was exhilarating and exhausting.”
Through it all — her career, her ventures, her service — West holds fast to the roles that matter most: mother, daughter, sister, tia and friend. “I wear a lot of hats,” she said, “and I am grateful for every single one of them.”
If there’s one message she hopes today’s students and families hear, it’s the importance of connection. Get involved. Show up. Serve. “My community connections have opened more doors than I can count,” she said.
She has seen it again and again: opportunities appear for those who are willing to connect with others, to give their time and talent, to make a difference. For students searching for college career preparation or leadership development opportunities, her story proves how much can grow from showing up and saying yes.
West remains closely tied to her alma mater, having served on the Board of Regents, supported student recruitment and given generously of her time and resources. For her, being part of the Transy alumni network is a lifelong bond. “There is an immediate connection when you meet another Transy grad,” she said. “It’s an honor to be an alum — and a title I truly cherish.”
Asked to describe her experience in one word, she didn’t hesitate: “transformative.”
And in many ways, that word captures not just her own journey but the promise of the Transylvania community. Students discover new paths, lifelong friendships and the confidence to shape the world around them. For West, that transformation began the moment she said yes — and it continues every day, in every community she serves.