From Saint Leo to Italy, 2025 Saint Leo Grad Ready to Use Leadership Skills, Passion for Arts

From earning honors at Saint Leo University to being admitted to a Global Master in Performing Arts Management Program in Milan, Italy, recent graduate Paul Vitaliti is hoping to use his skills, leadership ability, and passion for the arts for a career in theater management or teaching. 

Vitaliti, a member of Saint Leo’s Class of 2025, graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre. He also was an Honors Program student and minored in English and art. The master’s degree program in Milan is through Politecnico Milano (PoliMi), a joint program in association with the world-famous Teatro alla Scala and Teatro Piccolo. Politecnico di Milano recently was rated as the No. 1 university in Italy.

“I want to learn more about redlining contracts, creating seasons for shows, and overall management of clientele to further my love and implementation of radical hospitality into the theater setting,” Vitaliti said of the graduate program in Italy. 

He is the son of Eileen Vitaliti and stepfather, Andres Ramos. 

A graduate of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Spring Hill, FL, Vitaliti first became involved in the management side of theater at the school. He served as a tech manager and worked with outside clients who rented the Eleanor Dempsey Performing Arts Center (EDPAC). 

When he came to Saint Leo, Vitaliti immersed himself in not only his academic studies, but also in the many extracurricular activities and student organizations offered by the University, earning honors throughout his four years. 

He served as president of Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society, and president and founder of the Italian Trivia and Language Intracultural Association. He was a member of several honor societies including Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society (ODK), Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, Delta Epsilon Sigma National Scholastic Honor Society for Catholic Universities, and Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in Social Sciences. 

Vitaliti’s Catholic faith was at the forefront of his time at Saint Leo, too, with participation in University Ministry and Imago Dei. As a high school student, he participated in the Brain Bowl, hosted by College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services for area Catholic high school students. He then paid it forward, volunteering and working at the annual event to support Catholic education as well as recruiting tool for new students. “I chose Saint Leo because of my experiences with the College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services Brain Bowl competitions,” Vitaliti said. “It gave me my first glimpse of campus and reading the complimentary brochures and pamphlets helped me really discern where I wanted to go. My professor Dawn David taught me my senior year in high school, and she convinced me to attend [the University]. Fittingly, she taught me again my senior year at Saint Leo.” 

David also is an alumna of Saint Leo, having earned a master’s degree in 2007. “The reason I chose Saint Leo was because of her firsthand experience there, which really helped me relate and guided my decision,” Vitaliti said.

As more evidence of his Catholic faith, Vitaliti was selected to present the Eucharistic gifts during the university’s annual Baccalaureate Mass, which celebrated the Class of 2025, and was hosted at the Saint Leo Abbey Church. 

His leadership skills were honed through membership in the LEAD Scholars, a scholarship program designed to provide development and reflection activities for students who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential. In addition to serving as president for student organizations, Vitaliti also was a resident assistant and was named the RA of the Year for 2025, and he also received the Student Affairs award for the core vale of personal development, which recognized his efforts at personal growth as well as his efforts to help his fellow students grow and learn. 

In addition, he was awarded the Academic Excellence in Leadership award in 2024 and the Dean’s Award in Excellence in 2025 from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services.

Bringing the ‘Circus’ to Life

Throughout his years at Saint Leo, Vitaliti was involved in the arts, including producing an audio drama and a short film parody. But he topped off his time at the University by writing, producing, and directing his own play, The Circus Comes to Town, for his senior showcase which was a first for Saint Leo. His senior Honors Program project, The Backstage Pass, detailed all the necessary info and technical specifications of the university’s Black Box Theatre, providing “cheat sheets” and instruction manuals “to help pass the torch for both the theatre and Alpha Psi Omega,” he noted. His play also was part of the project, proof that the theatre can continue to thrive when student-led, Vitaliti added. 

The Circus Comes to Town captured the “spirit of student government shenanigans while also echoing the current political circus of the 2024 presidential election,” the promotion of the play stated. 

“Many of my peers were involved in the Student Government Union, and with the 2024 U.S. presidential election coming up, I wanted to write something to break tension on campus,” Vitaliti said. “Instead of marketing to Democrats or Republicans, I marketed to the group I knew best,” Saint Leo students and faculty.

“I really wanted to develop upon a comedic satire that started in my Intro to Dramatic Writing class with Dr. Vedran Husic,” he continued. “Soon I convinced my department [English, Music, and the Arts] to let it be my senior showcase and from there it developed into phase one of my Honors Project, The Backstage Pass. It was comprised of many individuals without theater experience as I was the only theatre major involved. It was a very impactful opportunity as no one before has been given such an honor to produce, direct, and write all at once on the student level. It was a tough process with [hurricanes] Helene and Milton canceling eight in-person rehearsals and converting three to Zoom.”

Being a Lion

Vitaliti made the most of his time at Saint Leo University, growing as a person and leader as well as helping others on their journey. 

“My favorite memories revolve around how much of an impact I’ve been able to make,” he said, “whether it was my opportunity as a resident assistant to help’ freshies’ on their first day, help the College of Arts, Sciences, and Allied Services with the annual high school Brain Bowls that I myself used to compete in, or even the events that brought my friends and I together throughout the years.”

For Vitaliti, his four years were “filled with unforgettable moments, challenges that shaped me, and a community that truly made me feel like I belonged.”