Alumni
Accolades
Valquíria Vita and James G. Saltat will be presented with the Gorillas of the Last Decade (GOLD) Alumni Award (formerly Good Apple Award). Caleb J. Hays and DePrice will be honored with the Dr. Kenneth K. Bateman Outstanding Alumni Award.
Valquíria Vita
Valquíria Vita (MA ’15, Communication) is the Founder and Director of LEGACY Life Stories, a company based in Brazil that specializes in writing biographies for people 80 years of age and older. Since its creation, the company has published more than 50 books and employs 10 people.
Vita first came to Pitt State in 2012 as an exchange student from Brazil. She returned in 2014 to pursue her master's degree in communication, graduating in 2015 with Summa Cum Laude honors (4.0 GPA). While here, she earned recognition on the Dean’s Scholastic Honors list and earned both the Global Leadership Certificate and International Knowledge and Experience Certificate.
During her time on campus, Vita was named International Graduate Student of the Year. She also made her mark in student media as a reporter and managing editor for The Collegio, where she earned 10 awards at the Kansas Collegiate Media Convention.
Vita launched her own column, People of Pittsburg, highlighting stories of local residents. That column inspired her to launch LEGACY Life Stories, which now gives individuals a chance to preserve their life stories for future generations. She’s become a sought-after author and has provided jobs in her community.
She continues to exemplify Gorilla Spirit by sharing her study abroad experience in lectures and at conferences.
James Saltat
James Saltat (BA ’15, Marketing) is the Interim Associate Director for Leadership & Service at the University of Missouri.
At Pitt State, Saltat’s participation in student leadership and service prepared him for his eventual career. He was the president of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and was active in Student Ambassadors, Pitt CARES Leaders, Student Government Association, Lambda Sigma Sophomore Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Freshman Honor Society, and Advancement Ambassadors.
He was also a Homecoming King candidate and a Golden Gorilla Award recipient. He was awarded the Outstanding President Award in 2013 for the inaugural year of Phi Eta Sigma, and he was a recipient of the Order of the Diamond Circle, awarded to his fraternity's National Undergraduate Member of the Year — although he counts marrying fellow Pitt State grad Jessica (Lowery) Saltat among his greatest achievements.
He completed a master's degree in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri, where he received the Culture of Excellence Award for Engagement with his work at the Division of Advancement.
Saltat continues to be active in student affairs and leadership organizations through both local and national committees. He serves as a member of Mizzou's Student Affairs Leadership Team, the American College Personnel Association, the NASPA Mid-Level Administrators Steering Committee, an advisor for Omicron Delta Kappa, and as past regional advisor for Phi Sigma Kappa. In 2024, he earned the Gallup Strengths Training Coach certification. He currently teaches two courses at the University of Missouri, which focuses on the intersection of leadership, civic engagement, and service.
He lives in Columbia, Missouri, with his wife Jessica and their one-year-old daughter Lorelai.
Caleb J. Hays
Caleb J. Hays (BA ’12, Spanish) serves as Chief Counsel and Principal for Section 4 Strategies, a boutique election law firm based in Alexandria, Virginia, and as Chief Policy Counsel for the Center for Election Confidence, Special Counsel for Elections for the Republican National Lawyers Association, and Outside General Counsel to the Congressional Management Foundation.
During his time at Pitt State, Hays learned leadership skills in numerous honor societies, including Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Mu Gamma, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Kappa Mu Epsilon. He also was awarded Outstanding Student in Spanish from the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
Hays earned a master’s in business administration marketing at the University of Kansas and a juris doctor at William & Mary Law School. He was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2020 from William & Mary Election Law Society.
Professionally, Hays has held a number of leadership roles in election law and policy. He served as General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director for the U.S. House Committee on House Administration, Associate Attorney at Holtzman Vogel, and Election Counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee, where he began as a law clerk in 2015. He has worked for former Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins in both campaign and congressional roles and chaired the Kansas Federation of College Republicans.
Hays lives in Alexandria, Virginia.
DePrice Taylor
With more than a decade of experience driving youth development, strategic initiatives, and community partnerships, DePrice Taylor (BS ’10, Social Work, and MS ’12, Sports Management) now serves as the Executive Director of Community Relations for the Kansas City Current.
She spearheads the club’s community engagement strategy, builds and sustains meaningful relationships with corporate and nonprofit stakeholders, and oversees impactful programming and player civic engagement efforts.
At Pitt State, Taylor was a first-generation student and member of the Women’s Basketball team who excelled on and off the court, including earning First Team All-MIAA honors.
She has been recognized as a Kansas City Business Journal NextGen Leader (2023), Starland News Community Builder to Watch (2023), Heartland Black Chamber of Commerce MVP (2024), ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award (2025), and alumna of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program.
She serves on the Win for KC Advisory Board, Black Excellence KC Board, Pitt State Alumni Association Board, and as a commissioner for Kansas City Parks & Recreation, appointed by Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Driven by a deep commitment to mentorship, she actively empowers young people, inspiring the next generation to thrive and lead with purpose, believing that despite your circumstances, anything is possible with faith, belief in yourself, and hard work.
