Tucker Snook: Growing Opportunity at BHC East
From a $150 lawn mower to national recognition, Tucker Snook’s journey shows how Black Hawk College students build real-world success.
Tucker Snook, a Black Hawk College student, has earned national recognition for turning a childhood lawn-mowing job into a thriving business. Snook, a member of the Cambridge FFA Chapter, was named the National Winner in Turf and Landscape Maintenance at the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo. His business Tucker’s Mowing serves more than 45 customers each week and provides a wide range of outdoor services.
Tucker's Story
“I saved up a little bit of birthday money and bought my first lawn mower for $150 from a guy at my church,” he recalled. “I started driving around town with a little cart that had my phone number on the side,” he said. “I started with a couple of customers and now I have 48 customers a week.”
As his customer base grew, Tucker expanded his services to include landscaping, excavation, mulching, leaf cleanup, and snow plowing. “I do whatever the customer needs done outside — I’m their guy,” he said.
During the summer, Tucker officially launched Tucker’s Mowing while continuing his education. “I’m going to get my sprayer’s license so I can do applications of fertilizers on lawns and I plan to keep expanding my business,” said the freshman at Black Hawk College, where he is studying to complete an associate’s degree in liberal arts.”
His determination paid off after years of competition. “Last year I won state and the year prior to that I was second in state so I was pretty determined to win state this year, otherwise I was going to be really disappointed in myself,” he said. “I was happy to be in the top four in the nation and then when I won, that was another whole round of excitement,” said the son of Wade and Candy Snook.
Tucker also credits strong mentorship for his success. “If it wasn’t for my adviser, I definitely wouldn’t be where I’m at today,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him always pushing me to keep up on my record book, I probably would not have done it.”
Tucker’s story reflects the impact of Black Hawk College's mentorship, education and community support — helping students turn initiative into opportunity and ambition into achievement.