/01
STUDENT WELL-BEING
A space to be human.
Honest conversations about anxiety, identity, trauma, relationships, and healing. Less stigma. More connection. With campus support resources present.
REAL CONVERSATIONS. REAL CONNECTION.
BEYONDTHE BEAT.
Every life has a rhythm.
Every story has a reason.
A live-recorded series bringing honest stories,
powerful voices, and new possibilities to VSU.
ROOTED AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITYTHERE’S MORE TO THE STORY A vision for what’s next · Concept imagery
REAL STORIES✳STUDENT VOICES✳SHARED HEALING✳CULTURE & CONNECTION✳PURPOSE IN MOTION✳
THE VISION
Beyond the applause.
Into the real story.
Everything has a beat.
A vibration. A story beneath the surface.
Beyond the Beat is a television and digital interview series hosted by VSU alumna Chey Butta. Artists, athletes, and public figures step beyond achievement to share the human experiences that shaped them.
Identity. Struggle. Healing. Resilience. Purpose.
Not just stories to hear. Stories to see yourself in.
WHY VSU. WHY NOW.
A stage for stories.
A catalyst for change.
When culture, conversation, and campus come
together, something meaningful happens.
/02
REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE
More than a front-row seat.
From research and filming to editing and promotion, students create alongside professional mentors—building skills, portfolios, and possibility.
/03
AN HBCU-ROOTED PLATFORM
Rooted here. Reaching further.
An opportunity for VSU to become the launch home of a series connecting cultural influence, student success, and stories worth sharing nationally.
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Real students.
Real reasons to show up.
These aren’t just numbers.
They’re a reminder of why connection matters.
37%
reported moderate-to-severe
depressive symptoms1
11%
reported suicidal
thoughts1
13%
experienced nonconsensual sexual
contact since enrollment2
14.1%
of undergraduate women with partners
reported intimate partner violence2
1 Healthy Minds Study, 2024–2025. 2 AAU Campus Climate Survey, 2019 (33 universities). These are national survey findings, not VSU-specific rates.
STUDENT-POWERED.
PROFESSIONALLY MENTORED.
AI-generated concept imageryPROFESSIONALLY MENTORED.
THE ON-CAMPUS EXPERIENCE
In the room.
Part of the story.
A live audience. An honest exchange. A shared experience that stays with you long after the lights go down.
The real conversation
A candid guest interview that goes beyond the highlight reel.
Your voice, in the room
Student-led questions. Authentic perspectives. Shared understanding.
A moment to Speak Life
An uplifting message to carry beyond the recording.
Feel the rhythm
Select live performances, when the story calls for it.
One pilot. A lasting possibility.
Proposed: three campus tapings a year, with room to grow.
CHEY BUTTA · HOST THE VOICE BEHIND THE VISION
Chey ButtaCheyja Andrews
VSU Alumna, Psychology
Host, Beyond the Beat
Founder, Speak Life
“I want to bring what I have learned back to the university that helped shape who I am—and create a stage where students discover the power of their own stories.”Chey Butta ↗
THE NEXT CHAPTER STARTS WITH US
Let’s create something
that moves people.
A proposed partnership. A shared purpose. An invitation to explore
what Beyond the Beat could make possible at VSU.
Start with a co-produced pilot Put students at the center Build with purpose