Delran Native Raises Awareness About Sexual Assault

DELRAN, NJ — When Contact of Burlington County invited Moorestown-based Flagg’s Garden Center to raise awareness about sexual assault awareness month by displaying a teal ribbon, store co-manager Skylar Brotz, of Delran, embraced the idea, according to her profile released by Rowan College at Burlington County as part of its “Behind the Baron” series.

“As a business, we'd never done that before, but the issue is something very near and dear to me, so I really advocated that we take part in it,” Brotz said. “I work with a lot of younger girls, so it was a very special thing that I was able to raise awareness around the issue among them. Contact provided a list of possible things we could do to address and raise awareness on the issue. I encouraged the girls to participate in these and created a discussion about it. Overall, being a small business in the community and being able to raise awareness on such an important issue with such a fantastic organization was an incredible and educational experience.”

It also led to Brotz’ recent recognition with the Alice Champion Award among Burlington County’s Outstanding Women of the Year. Read more here: Burlington County To Honor Outstanding Women In Cinnaminson

“I feel incredibly honored to be recognized as one of the outstanding women of Burlington County, especially in the midst of everyone else who was recognized,” Brotz said. “The women who were picked are truly amazing and have incredible achievements.”

The effort was part of Contact of Burlington County's vision of providing access to emotional support and community resources to anyone at any time. The non-profit organization offers confidential Crisis Helpline and Sexual Assault Services.

"We train, raise awareness, counsel and connect individuals to resources," the organization says on its website. To learn about how to volunteer with Contact of Burlington County, visit contactburlco.org.

Brotz has a history of achievements, including her time as a co-captain of the mock trial team in high school. It is there that she learned how to defend a position using facts. The time she spent researching, preparing her arguments and eventually making her case in front of her classmates solidified her decision to pursue a career as a prosecutor or legislator.

Brotz said she chose to begin her criminal justice studies at Rowan College at Burlington County due to its affordability and flexibility.

“I went to school in Delran for most of my life, so RCBC has always been in my peripheral,” Brotz said. “I am transferring to The College of William & Mary for the spring 2022 semester, but being the oldest of five kids, it was a great affordable option for me and allows me to work full time, as well. I am taking all online classes, but all of my professors are fantastic and have made learning a very enjoyable experience.”

There’s more ahead for Brotz, too. She hopes to continue to increase her advocacy for women's issues in the future. She ran a social media account to raise awareness about social issues, including abortion rights, violence toward women, human trafficking and more.

“There's always more to accomplish,” Brotz said. “I hope to either become a prosecutor or a legislator, and my main goal with either career is to defend and protect survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, two very important issues to me. When I transfer to William & Mary, I'm considering either double majoring in government and history or majoring in government with a minor in creative writing. I hope to strengthen my advocacy even further through joining some of their many organizations. I feel like with advocacy, there is always more to be done, and I'm committed to following that mindset in the future.”

When she’s not busy advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, Brotz enjoys reading, writing and flexing her Jeopardy chops. She also likes to watch true crime and investigative documentaries.