For Uriel Campos-Padilla, teaching is about the little moments.  

While student teaching at Woodbury Elementary School in Marshalltown, Iowa, Campos-Padilla recently worked with a small group of third-grade students on a lesson about culture and identity. One student was from Thailand, reminding Campos-Padilla of some of his hometown friends. Recalling a few phrases he'd picked up, he greeted her using her native language.

“Mr. Campos, how do you know my language?” she asked, wide-eyed and smiling.  

That afternoon, the student’s classroom teacher pulled him aside.

“I just want you to know that you made her day,” she said. “She came back to class so happy.”

For Campos-Padilla, it was a reminder of why he chose this path.  

"Something so small to you can mean the world to some of these kids," he says.

At the University of Iowa College of Education graduation this May, Campos-Padilla will receive his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, along with a K–12 English as a Second Language endorsement and a certificate from the Baker Teacher Leader Center.  

He was also selected by a faculty committee to serve as the student commencement speaker at the 2026 Spring College of Education Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony Thursday, May 14, at 4 p.m. at Hancher Auditorium. The selection came as a surprise.

“I was like, ‘Why me?’” he says, laughing. “I wasn't expecting it at all.”

The shock came with excitement, despite his normally introverted nature. He describes it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he hopes to leave his fellow students with a sense of their power.  

“I want them to feel inspired to go make a difference in someone's life. Even if they're not a teacher, they can still make a difference in somebody's life. You could do something that feels small to you and to them, you made their day.”

“That's honestly what teaching is. You show up and you do your job, read the curriculum, deliver the lesson, and joke around with the kids, laugh with them. But you don't always know the impact that you really have on them. It’s probably a lot bigger than you think.”

Campos-Padilla is from Marshalltown, Iowa. From an early age, he knew he wanted to teach. It wasn’t until he entered the College of Education and started working directly with students that he landed on elementary education.

Through student teaching, classroom observations, and practicum experiences, Campos-Padilla found where he belonged.

“I loved seeing the growth,” he says. “Being able to take a student from point A to point B in learning, but at the same time building a relationship with them — it's super rewarding.”

Campos-Padilla also notes the many classes and professors who challenged him, supported him, and created safe environments for him to learn.

“I didn’t have a single professor I didn’t like,” he says. He notes his connection with EunJung Kim, assistant professor in social studies education, whose classes and mentorship helped him over his years at Iowa. He describes her as “caring” and “always a friendly face around.” She describes him similarly.

“What impressed me most early on was his big heart for young learners and his clear aspiration to serve as a positive role model for his future students,” Kim says. “From the beginning, he stood out as attentive, sincere, and deeply engaged with the course of content.”

“Uriel is an excellent choice for commencement speaker...His compassion, leadership, and commitment to service are qualities that naturally inspire others. I believe the audience will find his story both meaningful and motivating.”

After graduation, Campos-Padilla will return to Marshalltown as a first-grade teacher at Rogers Elementary School. He describes his hometown as diverse and close-knit; he loves that everyone “always has each other's backs.” He’s excited to be back and to have a classroom of his own.

“I’m just excited to be a teacher,” he says.

On May 14th, Campos-Padilla will read his commencement speech that reflects on his time at Iowa and his time in the classroom. In one line, he touches on the biggest lesson he’s learned.

“With one kind action, or one piece of encouragement, we really do have the ability to change the trajectory of a young person’s life.”