SweetGrass Trading Company is proud to announce Jackson Kennedy as the 2025 recipient of our Native Scholarship. A member of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, Jackson embodies the values of dedication, service, and community that our scholarship program was created to support.
This fall, Jackson will begin his studies at the University of Central Missouri, majoring in construction management. Alongside his academic pursuits, he will also serve in the Missouri Army National Guard—continuing a proud family legacy of military service that has deeply inspired him. Jackson’s commitment to service was further strengthened by his experiences attending the Ho-Chunk pow wow, where he saw the names of tribal warriors, including members of his own family, honored for their bravery and dedication.
Jackson’s ultimate goal is to serve his tribe as a construction engineer, helping to build and strengthen the infrastructure of his community. We are honored to support him as he takes these important steps toward his future.
“The financial pressure of obtaining a college degree to better oneself in the advancement of a career and in my case, military goals, can be overwhelming,” Kennedy said. “I know I can be more successful as a student and Army National Guardsman knowing I am freeing up resources for academic pursuits and career-related experiences in construction, as well as the Army. I am very thankful to Ho-Chunk Trading Group.”
Launched in 2018, the Ho-Chunk Trading Group Native Scholarship aims to ease the financial burden of higher education for Native students while encouraging them to follow their passions and make lasting contributions to their communities. We believe that education is a vital tool in building a stronger future—for individuals, for Tribes, and for the world.
SweetGrass Trading Company is a subsidiary of Ho-Chunk Trading Group, a division of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the economic development corporation of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska.