Beau Shugarts ’25 is a storyteller at heart.
“I've always wanted to find more ways to get the ideas in my head out to the world in a tangible form,” he notes.
The Communication major is already taking steps to achieve this dream, aided by “The Art of Storytelling” course he took last spring. Through the class, Shugarts participated in the Monte-Carlo Television Festival’s inaugural Tell Me a Story pitch contest — winning first place and securing a one-year contract to develop his “30 Days Offline” tv show concept with Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer Tom Jennings.
The global competition was open to creators ages 18 to 30, and 13 finalists, including Shugarts and four other Bryant undergrads — Malachi Steele ’25, Nidya Merisier ’27, Jack Brzenk ’28, and Nicholas Alvarado ’26 — were selected to present their pitches in Monaco.
Shugarts’ TV show concept dives into the lives of several people each episode as they go about their days without the internet for 30 days.
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“My inspiration came from a few different experiences. During a class I took with Associate Professor of Communication and Language Studies Kristen Berkos, Ph.D., I did a five-day ‘phone fast’ assignment, and before Bryant, I briefly attended the Air Force Academy Preparatory School and experienced what it was like to bond with my peers without a phone or internet access,” he says.
As a Gen Zer, Shugarts notes that digital natives have little concept of life before the internet.
“We can study all the history we want, but we never got the opportunity to live it, and now we can by watching as people step up to the challenge of living life offline and become role models,” he says.
The development opportunity was made possible through a recommendation from Bryant Board of Trustees member Frank Stasiowski ’75MBA, which prompted the creation of the storytelling course. Here, Veronica McComb, Ph.D., prepared students for the pitch contest by teaching them about storytelling theory, technique, and history.
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Since his win, Shugarts has been working alongside Jennings and his team to develop a pitch deck and sizzle reel for his concept. Once finalized, Shugarts will repitch the show to executives at interested networks and streaming services.
“There’s a lot of potential energy right now,” says Shugarts, who graduated from Bryant in December and will walk with the Class of 2026. “I never want to fast-forward through life, but I am excited to look back on this experience one year from now; I'm hoping to turn this opportunity into something that goes beyond a year.”