The Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking is awarded annually to human trafficking survivors served in the Bay Area for tuition and supplies for college tuition, vocational services, business classes, or high school equivalency testing.
We are grateful to Debra and Janet Surkin for their generous donations to establish and support this scholarship!
This scholarship is administered annually in collaboration with local organizations serving survivors of human trafficking. The recipients are being selected among clients of these organizations.
For more information, please contact us at info@ncjwsf.org.
2023 Scholarship Awards
On March 2rd, 2023, we gathered at the San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium for the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking (SFCAHT) Teen Summit. At this event, the Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship was awarded to two survivors of human trafficking. These survivors were clients of Justice At Last. Debra Surkin, daughter of Nancy Surkin, presented these two awards to José Heredia-Rodriguez, Client Advocate Program Manager of Justice At Last.
2022 Scholarship Awards
On February 16, 2022 we held virtually the Annual Teen Power Summit and closing of the 2022 Awareness Campaign of SFCAHT. At this event, we presented the annual awards of the “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to two survivors of sex trafficking, clients of Justice At Last. The scholarship awards were presented by Debra Surkin to Justice At Last’s Founder, Executive Director and Principal Attorney, Rose Mukhar.
2021 Scholarship Awards
On February 24, 2021, we gathered virtually for the Annual Teen Power Summit with students in middle and high school from across the Bay Area to exchange good practices in anti-trafficking advocacy and leadership and close the SFCAHT’s 2020 Awareness Campaign. At this memorable event, NCJW San Francisco presented the two annual awards of the “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to Cari Hertel, Survivor-Leader, Cultural Officer, Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, Speaker-Consultant and Resource Specialist and Maya Balbow, Human Trafficking Consultant. The scholarship awards were presented by NCJW San Francisco Vice President and Co-Chair of our Scholarships Committee, Dena Gardi (featured in the photo).
2020 Scholarship Awards
On February 29, 2020, at the closing event of the SFCAHT’s 2020 Awareness Campaign in the San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building, we presented two awards of the 2020 “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to Andreas Jeremy and Kenneth Nathaniel, youth survivors of labor trafficking, clients of Asian Women Shelter. The scholarship awards were presented by NCJW San Francisco Vice President, Teddi Silverman. We are grateful to Debra and Janet Surkin for their generous donations to establish and support this scholarship!
2019 Scholarship Awards
On February 13, 2019, at the closing event of the SFCAHT’s 2019 Awareness Campaign in the San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, we presented two awards of the 2019 “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to two youth survivors of sex trafficking, clients of MISSSEY (Motivating Inspiring Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth). The scholarship awards were presented by NCJW San Francisco Board President, Teddi Silverman, to MISSSEY’s Director of Programs Jakki Bedsole.
2018 Scholarship Awards
On February 22, 2018, at the closing event of the SFCAHT’s 2018 Awareness Campaign in the San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, we presented two awards of the 2018 “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to two youth survivors of sex trafficking, clients of MISSSEY (Motivating Inspiring Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth). The scholarship awards were presented by NCJW San Francisco Vice Presidents and Co-Chairs of the Scholarship Committee, Dena Gardi and Linda Kurtz, to MISSSEY’s Director of Programs Jakki Bedsole.
2017 Scholarship Awards
On February 13, 2017, at the closing event of the SFCAHT’s 2017 Awareness Campaign in the San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, we presented two awards of the 2017 “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to two youth survivors of sex trafficking, clients of MISSSEY (Motivating Inspiring Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth). The scholarship awards were presented by NCJW San Francisco Vice President and Co-Chair of the Scholarship Committee, Dena Gardi to MISSSEY’s Director of Programs Jakki Bedsole.
2016 Scholarship Awards
On February 10, 2016, at the closing event of the SFCAHT’s 2016 Awareness Campaign in the San Francisco Main Public Library, Koret Auditorium, we presented two awards of the 2016 “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking” to two youth survivors of sex trafficking, clients of MISSSEY (Motivating Inspiring Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth). The scholarship awards were presented by NCJW San Francisco member and Nancy Surkin’s daughter, Debra Surkin, to MISSSEY’s Board Member, Rose Mukhar.
2015 Scholarship Awards
On February 11, 2015 at the closing event of the SFCAHT’s 2015 Awareness Campaign at the San Francisco Main Public Library, we announced our newly created, “Nancy Surkin Memorial Scholarship for Survivors of Human Trafficking.” Debra Surkin, daughter of Nancy Elliot Surkin, for whom the honor is named, presented to Sarai T. Smith-Mazariegos, Co-Founder of MISSSEY (Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting & Serving Sexually Exploited Youth) the first two awards of this scholarship to youth human trafficking survivors, clients of MISSSEY. We are grateful to Debra and Janet Surkin for their generous donations to establish this scholarship!
