Photo provided by ABI

A new scholarship aimed at helping victims of sex trafficking has been established to honor Nina Hickson, VP and general counsel for Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Circle of Friends: Celebrating Life says its Impact Scholarship will help female survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation attend college. The organization can award up to 20 scholarships in an aggregate amount of up to $10,000 each year.

“The Honorable Nina R. Hickson Scholarship is awarded to those qualified individuals interested in attending a four-year college with a focus towards majoring in government/law, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), journalism, social work, or another closely related major,” the press release says.

ABI CEO Paul Morriss said Hickson has worked in the community to tackle the “significant and pervasive issue of sex trafficking and exploitation of women.”

Hickson’s past employment includes work in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit and the Fulton County Justice System. She also previously served as Atlanta’s ethics officer.

“It is an honor to work alongside her daily and to support her work directly helping survivors pursue higher education,” Morriss said. “A more educated workforce leads to a more qualified job force and the Atlanta BeltLine champions workforce development, particularly as we work towards creating jobs for Atlantans.”

The application process begins March 8 and ends on May 8.

“The scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the educational institution that the recipient is attending. Additional, newly established scholarships include the Maria Duenas Calvo Vocational Scholarship and the Lisa C. Williams Scholarship,” the press release says. “Please emailinfo@cofcl.org for more info.”