National FFA Week: Childhood passion led Tristan Leggett to a future in heavy equipment operation

Tristan Leggett has had an interest in operating heavy equipment since childhood.

Leggett said he doesn't come from a farming family but spent time growing up at his grandfather's "hobby farm". He began driving a tractor there at 8 years old and began mowing and disking the field on his own the next year.

"It immediately clicked," Leggette said. "By the next summer, he had me out mowing, disking on my own as a 9-year-old."

Leggett's interest in operating heavy equipment solidified when, at 13, he got his first taste of excavating. His family was building a new house when Jahn Excavation in Jackson was contracted to do dirt work on the family's property. Leggett said he picked the brains of some crew members and ultimately took a day off of school to try and help with his family's "little tractor."

Instead of running the tractor, he was put in a dozer, where he spent most of the day. After work was finished for the evening, Leggett received an unexpected offer.

"At the end of that day, Scott (Jahn) offered me, as a 13-year-old, he said, 'When you turn 16, come talk to me and you'll have a job,'" Leggett said. "After that day, I knew that heavy equipment was my thing. It was always something I was really interested in from very young age, but after that day, I knew that's what I wanted to do."

Taking Jahn up on his offer, Leggett began working with Jahn Excavating in 2022, assisting with projects like clearing woods, grading land and digging ponds.

As an 18-year-old senior at Saxony Lutheran High School, Leggett serves as the vice president for the school's Future Farmers of America chapter and continues to work for Jahn as part of his supervised agricultural experience (SAE). Saxony agriculture education teacher and FFA adviser Keith Koenig praised Leggett, saying he is one of his "top students."

"He does a great job getting his work done on time and meeting deadlines," Koenig said. He does great work, and I know he really enjoys his SAE stuff, so that's why he's a great example of what a good ag student is."

Koenig said Leggett will also be receiving his State FFA Degree this year, a rare distinction earned by less than 2% of FFA members.

With graduation approaching, Leggett's next step will be attending the State Technical College of Missouri for its two-year heavy equipment operation and management program. After completing State Tech's program, he plans to return to Jackson and work for Jahn until his next opportunity.

"I'll graduate from there in May of '27 and I'm hopefully going to come back and work here for at least a little bit," Leggett said. "Maybe, eventually, I'll go out and start my own business. We'll just see, that's all up in the air."