RaShaun West I

Student Speaker, December 2025

Lexington resident RaShaun West I is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in human communication from the UK College of Communication and Information. He was selected to deliver the student address at the 3 p.m. Commencement ceremony, where he plans to reflect on perseverance, purpose and the many paths that lead to graduation.

West, who is originally from Cincinnati, said applying to be student speaker felt like a natural extension of his own journey at UK — one shaped by multiple roles and deep personal meaning.

“It’s an opportunity to share my journey and encourage others while highlighting the reach of UK, as a patient, employee, student and graduate,” West said. “This place truly changes and positively impacts lives.”

Through his address, West, a nontraditional student, hopes to speak directly to those whose path to Commencement may not have been linear. He wants graduates to see challenges and setbacks not as failures, but as proof of endurance.

“Maybe you failed a class, didn’t achieve the GPA you hoped for or stayed enrolled longer than you planned,” he said. “Nevertheless, you made it. I want graduates to look back at those stepping stones not with regret, but with pride and a sense of accomplishment.”

A husband, father, full-time employee and full-time student, West said his UK experience reinforced a belief he carries into every aspect of his life: that limitations are often self-imposed. Graduating magna cum laude, he credits his faith, discipline and support from those around him for making the moment possible.

“In our house, ‘can’t’ is a bad word,” West said. “We remind our children that Wests can do anything.”

As he prepares to take the Commencement stage, West views the moment as an opportunity to publicly acknowledge the people who helped him reach it.

“Most importantly, I want to honor God and all those who have supported, encouraged and motivated me from birth until now,” he said. “This is my opportunity to publicly say, thank you.”

West hopes his fellow graduates leave ready to embrace what comes next — aware that challenges will continue, but confident in their ability to meet them head-on.

“Just as we did throughout our college journey,” he said, “we will fight the good fight and finish the course."