2026 Nebraska Business Hall of Fame Scholarship Recipients Announced

LINCOLN, Nebraska — January 30, 2026 — The NE Chamber Foundation on Thursday awarded six outstanding Nebraska college students with $2,500 tuition scholarships.  The students are majoring in a business-related field and have shown excellence in their academics, leadership and community.
 
2026 Nebraska Business Hall of Fame scholarship winners are:

• Jacie Ambrose, University of Nebraska at Omaha, St. Paul native, awarded the Bob Harris Scholarship;
• Andrew Heckman, Hastings College, Hastings native, awarded the Jack Swartz Scholarship;
• Will Blatchford, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln native, awarded the Robert & Cynthia Milligan Scholarship;
• Lillian Johnson, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lincoln native, awarded the Kenneth L. Wortman Scholarship;
• Maddock Oberzan, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Lawrence, KS native, awarded the Virgil Eihusen Scholarship; and
• Arabelle Horst, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Gretna native, awarded the Moe Beardmore Scholarship.

 
To be eligible, college students in Nebraska must be sophomores or juniors in a business-related field, show demonstrated leadership in extracurricular activities and maintain at least a 3.0 grade point-average. Since 1997, the NE Chamber Foundation has awarded over $280,000 in scholarships to more than 135 students across Nebraska.
 
“These students embody the talent and promise that will guide Nebraska’s business community forward,” said NE Chamber Foundation President Tera Norris. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to support them and look forward to seeing the difference they’ll make in communities across Nebraska.”
 
The NE Chamber Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable and education foundation that expands economic growth and opportunity throughout Nebraska through game-changing nonpartisan research and initiatives.  The NE Chamber Foundation also supports the future of Nebraska through the Leadership Nebraska program and college scholarships.  The NE Chamber Foundation strives to be the leader in Nebraska in future-focused research and data and be a catalyst for positive change.  Learn more at nechamber.com/foundation.
 
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