For Lexi Moon, art has always been more than a hobby. The 2025 student commencement speaker describes it as an escape, a source of connection, and now, a career.

At the Thursday, Dec. 18 College of Education Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony, Moon will receive two degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education from the College of Education's Department of Teaching and Learning, and a Bachelor of Arts in Art from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Additionally, she was selected by a committee to be the keynote student speaker.

Moon was nominated by assistant art education professor Allison Rowe, who has watched Moon grow and flourish during her time in the program.

“Her dedication to the craft of teaching is incredible, and her passion for education is contagious,” Rowe says. “I know Lexi will remind the audience, as she reminds me, of what a gift it is to work in the field of education and how bright the future of education is in Iowa because of people like her and her fellow graduates.”

Moon moved around Iowa a bit as a young child, including two years in Iowa City, but she has spent most of her life in and around the Des Moines area. After graduating from Waukee High School, she obtained her Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Des Moines Area Community College. When it came time for the next step, Moon felt drawn to Iowa City.

“It felt like a second home,” she recalls. “I appreciate how much there is to do in Iowa City compared to other small college towns, as well as how genuinely friendly the people are. There’s a strong sense of community that I didn’t always feel in the Des Moines area.” It didn’t hurt that her mom was a proud Hawkeye, she adds.

In choosing where she would pursue her undergraduate degrees, the location was secondary to her studies. She chose Iowa because it allowed her to pursue her dual degrees on a manageable timeline while getting valuable hands-on experience.

Over her three years at the university, that experience came in many forms. Moon highlights her “Methods of Art and Field Experiences” classes, especially the Saturday Morning Art Workshops they hosted for elementary students in the area. Additionally, the Secondary “Methods” course connected Moon and her peers with the United Action for Youth (UAY) program. Every Thursday, they taught engaging art lessons to youth and teens, culminating in an art show at the end of the semester.

“Working alongside like-minded individuals who are passionate about art education – whether classmates in methods courses, active art teachers, or cooperating teachers – has been incredibly rewarding,” says Moon. "It provides opportunities to learn from one another and grow both as educators and as artists. These early hands-on experiences also gave us, as future teachers, the freedom to explore, experiment, and truly hone our craft in art education."

Her passion for art and teaching is evident, especially to those she’s worked with at the university. Assistant art education professor Buffy Quintero has been an important mentor to Moon, describing her as a hard worker and passionate student.

“Early on, I recognized a real drive in Lexi to make connections with students and to help them develop their own artistic voice,” says Quintero. “Lexi finds great joy in creating and living a creative life.  She transfers her own passion to create and for expression to her students.”

Moon spent her final semester completing her student-teaching at Penn Elementary School in North Liberty and Northwest Middle School in Coralville, both part of the Iowa City Community School District. 

Working with young people has always held special meaning for Moon. As a child, Moon was a self-described “loud, energetic, and fairly naughty kid” who ended up in the principal’s office more than once. She remembers her art classes as the place where she found joy and confidence amidst the chaos.

“Art was always my escape,” says Moon. “It was so important having art teachers who helped and pushed me when I needed it...I felt safe, supported, and at home in those classrooms.”

In that spirit, Moon hopes to work with students as an art teacher in a local public school. She loves working with students of all ages, and her ultimate goal is to inspire young people to find joy through art.  

“I see teaching as a powerful opportunity to inspire, motivate, and help students discover their potential, just as I had teachers do for me,” says Moon. “No matter where my students go or what fields they work in, I hope to instill in them the belief that art matters and that their voices matter.”