Tell us about your hometown, your major, and how you came to be a student at Gatton College.
Gatton Alumni: Yajaira Aich West, MBA ’11
I’m proud to call Lexington, Kentucky, my hometown. This city has shaped my values, my community involvement, and my passion for strengthening the region where I grew up. Lexington is large enough to offer a diverse arts and culture scene, food options from around the world, and incredibly fun events for all. But as you enter our city, it is still calm, green due to our farmlands, and home to a welcoming community. Recently, VisitLex announced Lexington was recognized in the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards as the #1 Most Tourist-Friendly City in the U.S., the #6 Best Food City, and the #8 Best Small City. In my experience, Lexington is a relationship‑driven city where people genuinely support one another.
I began my higher education journey at Transylvania University, where I majored in Business Administration and Spanish Literature & Language, graduating in 2004. After starting my career at PNC Bank in 2006 in a sales and marketing role, I wanted to deepen my business expertise. I pursued an MBA at the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, completing the three‑year night program while working full-time. Balancing both was challenging, but incredibly rewarding, and it allowed me to apply what I was learning directly to my work. I graduated from the program in 2011. Gatton offered exactly what I was looking for: rigorous coursework, strong community ties, and the opportunity to continue contributing to my hometown while advancing my education. I stay connected to Gatton through my work at PNC and appreciate its continuous evolution to meet the needs of today’s students. The alumni network is influential, and I am proud to be a member.
How did Gatton help shape the professional you are today?
Gatton played a pivotal role in shaping the leader I’ve become. The program strengthened my ability to think strategically, collaborate effectively, and approach challenges with both analytical and people‑centered perspectives. I remember the coursework was primarily driven by team-based projects, which helped me build the confidence to lead initiatives and navigate complex partnerships. These are skills I rely on every day in my work. The program also connected me with peers and mentors who expanded my thinking and encouraged my growth. That experience helped prepare me for the responsibilities I hold today, both as Client & Community Relations Director at PNC Bank and as Co‑Founder of Spark Insights, where I advise small businesses, nonprofits and organizations on marketing, fundraising and board governance.
The MBA program boosted my confidence in public speaking and crafting communications. The coursework opened my eyes to new fields in business that have helped inform my understanding of finance, marketing, logistics and management. The content I learned at Gatton continues to help me connect my work at PNC and Spark Insights to achieving business goals like increasing revenue, growing brand awareness, enhancing customer service and managing risk.
My MBA education also helped me become a stronger leader in and outside of my professional life. I use these leadership skills in the community via the multiple nonprofit boards on which I serve. Today I am a Lexington Public Library Trustee and a VisitLex Commission member, and I am on the boards of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Commerce Lexington Foundation and Child Care Council of Kentucky.
What was your first job after graduation? What would you do differently if you had that same job today?
My first professional role after earning my undergraduate degree was as a marketing assistant at a regional credit union. In that position, I coordinated marketing outreach, promoted credit union products and services across Kentucky, and supported the credit union’s public events.
If I were stepping into that role today, with nearly two decades of experience behind me, I would approach it with a more strategic mindset. I’d place greater emphasis on enhancing my oral and written communications skills and focus on building relationships with customers. In my first role, I was very task-oriented and didn’t have as much success as I could have achieved had I understood that strong relationships and clear communication styles would have helped me achieve my goals more quickly and easily.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my role at PNC is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact across the 15 counties in central, southern, and eastern Kentucky that I serve for my PNC colleagues and community partners. In collaboration with our regional president and senior business leaders, I lead our local philanthropic strategy, inclusive of charitable sponsorships and grants, and I act as a bridge between PNC and the nonprofits working tirelessly to uplift our communities.
Supporting organizations that focus on early childhood education, workforce development, and economic empowerment is deeply fulfilling. I also enjoy leading employee initiatives such as PNC Living Well and PNC Grow Up Great, which encourage wellness, volunteerism, and a strong culture of giving throughout the bank.
In March 2026, I was recognized as the Downtown Lexington Partnership Outstanding Individual. Being recognized as the Outstanding Individual is more than an award or a title, it’s what I strive to live up to every day. I do my best to show up for people, build relationships rooted in trust, and create meaningful impact in the community I love.
The recognition tells me that the intention behind my work – listening, connecting, partnering, and uplifting others – truly matters and is making a difference. Service has always been at the center of who I am, and this award reinforces that leading with compassion and purpose makes a difference.
Nothing I do is achieved alone. The recognition was a celebration of the family that raised me, my friends, partners, nonprofits, colleagues, clients, and community members who walk alongside me. I truly believe that the most meaningful change happens when we unite behind shared goals.
Being able to lift up our region—while working alongside partners who care as deeply as I do about Kentucky’s future—is what makes my work truly meaningful.
