Brittany Boetticher C’23 Recognized for Suicide Prevention Work

Drew University junior receives New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award

September 2021 – Drew University junior Brittany Boetticher C’23 has received a New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award for volunteer her work in suicide prevention.

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Boetticher earned the award for her Girl Scout Gold Award project, “Project Speak Out,” a suicide prevention program she brought to Jefferson Township High School, where she went prior to Drew.

“I started the program after a recent graduate from my high school took his life just before the school year,” explained Boetticher, a sociology major and psychology minor.

“I felt it could have been handled differently and I decided that I wanted to work on suicide prevention and mental health awareness.”

Boetticher worked closely with Jefferson Township Connect, a mental health project in her hometown, to come up with the best plan of action, which included screening Suicide: The Ripple Effect. In addition to the in-school program, Boetticher also ran the same program for the entire town of Jefferson Township to attend.

As a Drew Action Scholar, Boetticher has also brought her work to campus by creating a Drew chapter of the national Active Minds mental health club.

“We are hoping to raise awareness about mental illness and promote mental health strategies. We also want to educate the community about different mental health resources, signs and symptoms of mental illness, and how to help someone in need.”