University of Iowa team taps into the skills of students to serve as consultants, create mixed media animation, and provide the voice-over for this year’s spot, “Iowa Feels Like Home.”
Story: Emily Nelson
Photography: Tim Schoon
Videography: Office of Strategic Communication
Published: Aug. 27, 2025
The University of Iowa’s latest football gameday commercial depicts a new student’s experience of coming to campus.
“I didn’t really know what to expect when I got here. I was excited but also low-key terrified,” says the voice-over. “Then, my roommate turned out to be awesome, and I was like, ‘This feels good. This feels right.’ And now, the University of Iowa feels like home.”
With the focus on the student experience, it only seemed right that students be involved in the commercial’s production.
“Collaborating with students is a fulfilling experience for us, as well as a learning opportunity,” says Kendra Wilson, creative coordinator in the Office of Strategic Communication, which produced the commercial. “It helps us gain understanding of the current student experience, their interests, and what feels important to them. When our ideas are validated by them, and inevitably grow with their input, we’re able to feel more confident in the final product.”
Two students who worked on the commercial say they could relate to its message.
Abril Garcia Rojas worked as a creative consultant and produced some of the multimedia animation for the commercial. With a parent in the military, the third-year student double majoring in cinema and screenwriting moved around a lot while growing up but spent her middle school and high school years in San Antonio.
“I had a lot of creative ideas and thought maybe I could write books. But I also thought I had the ability to tell stories visually as well,” Garcia Rojas says. “So, I looked for a school with cinematography and screenwriting, and Iowa was one of the best public schools for screenwriting.
“It was a good fit.”
Meanwhile, Peyton Flynn says she laughed a little when she first read the lines she would be voicing for the commercial.
“I remember standing outside my residence hall after moving in my first year and asking my mom, ‘What if this isn’t right?’” says the fourth-year student from Davenport, Iowa, majoring in music education and percussion performance. “She told me, if it wasn’t right, I would know. And if it was right, I would feel it. And I did feel it. I had a roommate I didn’t know that first year, and now we’ve been best friends for four years and we still live together.
“So, that voice-over definitely described my experience.”
Wilson hopes that students who work with her team walk away with not only a product in their portfolio but also the ability to talk about their real-world experience to potential future employers.
“It’s important that we live up to our promise of preparing students for life after graduation,” Wilson says. “When we bring students into projects like this, we aim to give them a chance to apply their knowledge in real-world settings, gain professional experience, and build confidence for the careers ahead of them. We hope students walk away with more trust in their skills and a better understanding of how these projects come together.”
Learn more about the Hawkeyes behind Iowa’s new gameday commercial.
In just two years at the University of Iowa, Abril Garcia Rojas has produced multiple short films, worked on the crew of a few feature-length films, assistant directed a television pilot, and participated in many class productions. “We were writing short films right away my first semester,” Garcia Rojas says. “I thought that sort of thing would be more during advanced screenwriting classes.”
Abril Garcia Rojas
The beginning of the school year is always hectic. But it will be especially busy for Abril Garcia Rojas, who will begin directing her first feature film, which she also wrote.
“I think I’m ready. I’m sure I’ll be figuring things out along the way, but everything I’ve done up to this point has given me the confidence to do this film,” Garcia Rojas says.
During her first two years at Iowa, Garcia Rojas has produced multiple short films, worked on the crew of a few feature-length films, assistant directed a television pilot, and participated in many class productions. She’s also written several short films, a television pilot, and two feature films.
Garcia Rojas says she never expected she would have done so much so early in her college career.
“We were writing short films right away my first semester,” Garcia Rojas says. “I thought that sort of thing would be more during advanced screenwriting classes. But all that work builds us up to be able to do independent projects.”
Wilson says happenstance brought Garcia Rojas and the production team together. Clarity Guerra, video coordinator for the Office of Strategic Communication, was talking with some students about mixed media ideas when they mentioned a talented classmate who did such work.
“Abril is a wonderfully talented artist and film student,” Wilson says. “Her experience in mixed media animation was vital to the project and helped shape the overall visual aesthetic. The end product wouldn’t be what it is without her talent, commitment, and resilience.”
Garcia Rojas originally was tapped to help craft mixed media animations for the commercial, but her role soon grew.
“She began to provide feedback on what felt relevant — or cringe — and how to improve it for our student audience,” Wilson says. “She offered feedback on the music track and led us to a more successful selection. When it was time to write the script, she provided ideas and ad-libbed lines in a tone that felt relatable to current and incoming students.”
“The cinema program at Iowa is such a tight-knit community; everybody leans on each other for support. And it’s not like a leaning on each other to hold each other down; it’s a build-each-other-up situation. I’ve just really enjoyed being able to collaborate with everybody.”
Developing such projects is not always a simple and straightforward process, and unfortunately, some of the mixed media animation work that Garcia Rojas produced ended up on the cutting room floor.
“It was something that I wish wouldn’t have happened, but I guess it was a learning experience to see how those things actually work,” Garcia Rojas says.
Along with her professional and class projects, Garcia Rojas also engages with the campus film community by serving as president of the Cinematic Arts Student Organization (CASO). She says one of the goals for the organization this year is to host a 48-hour film challenge and a screenwriting competition.
Garcia Rojas also serves as a student ambassador for the Department of Cinema Arts, where, among other things, she speaks with prospective students who are interested in the field.
“I tell them about the things I’ve done and the experiences I’ve had and try to give them the encouragement to feel like they could do this, too,” Garcia Rojas says. “This career path can be difficult because it's not always as simple as just finding a set job for the rest of your life. It can be a struggle, and you can’t quit.”
One of the things that keeps Garcia Rojas going and keeps her inspired are the collaborators that she has found at Iowa.
“The cinema program at Iowa is such a tight-knit community; everybody leans on each other for support,” Garcia Rojas says. “And it’s not like a leaning on each other to hold each other down; it’s a build-each-other-up situation. I’ve just really enjoyed being able to collaborate with everybody.”
Garcia Rojas says she may have enough credits to graduate in spring 2026, and she’s currently looking at graduate schools, where she plans to focus more on the production side than screenwriting.
Tackling a feature film this fall
Abril Garcia Rojas will begin directing her first feature film, which she also wrote, the first week of September, with a goal of finishing by the end of the semester.
“It’s a horror/thriller/drama set in a cannibalistic society where the two main characters are having to deal with familial pressures and societal pressures of having to go through with this wedding ritual where people essentially give each other up to themselves,” Garcia Rojas says. “But the metaphors and symbolism that I’m playing with are domestic violence and when women are, for the lack of a better term, submitting to their partners. I’m kind of playing with those themes and how women feel in toxic relationships.”
Filming will take place throughout the greater Iowa City area.
Peyton Flynn excels in the Hawkeye Marching Band, where she serves as captain of the drumline, and in the classroom, having earned President's List recognition the past two semesters. The President's List honors undergrads who complete 12 semester hours with a 4.0 grade-point average.
Peyton Flynn
As Peyton Flynn takes the field at Kinnick Stadium this fall as captain of the Hawkeye Marching Band drumline, she can’t help but think back to her first year at the University of Iowa.
“I had watched the Hawkeye Marching Band my whole life, and it was something I wanted so bad to be a part of,” Flynn says. “Watching our new Hawkeyes, I see in them a lot of the feelings that I had my first year. It’s kind of weird to go from being scared about whether I would get a spot in the band to leading the group. It’s a really cool experience, and I’m lucky to have the opportunity.”
Flynn calls herself a “homegrown Hawk.”
“My dad loves Iowa athletics, so I was always here for basketball, wrestling, football,” Flynn says. “I fell in love with that part of the university, and then when I came on my tour, I could just picture myself here. I love how close-knit our community and our university are.”
She says she always knew she wanted to go into music education, and she’s excited to get into her own classroom — hopefully in Iowa — after graduating.
“The practicum experiences through our music education program and our College of Education have been phenomenal,” Flynn says. “I’ve loved getting into the Iowa City schools, and it’s been reassuring to know that’s what I want to go into. I've also helped run honor bands and band camps, which has been nice. I feel ready to go out into the field.”
“It’s kind of surreal because I grew up going to or watching football every Saturday on TV, so it’s really cool to be a part of that. It’s a really special feeling.”
Flynn says it’s amazing to think about all the opportunities she’s gotten at the University of Iowa. And while her experiences with the Hawkeye Marching Band have been some of her favorites, she’s also grateful for other wonderful musical moments.
“The Iowa Symphony Band got to go play in Orchestra Hall in Chicago this last year, which was just phenomenal. I will never forget that,” Flynn says. “But I’ve also gotten to play at Hancher Auditorium with Grammy Award–winning artists Sō Percussion and Caroline Shaw. That was an experience that I’m going to remember for a long time.
“It’s pretty cool to see how far I’ve come and how the university has brought me to the point that I am now.”
Along with her classes and being part of the Hawkeye Marching Band, Flynn also works as a campus tour guide.
“I just absolutely love it,” Flynn says. “I love getting to talk to prospective students and their families, especially because that was such a pivotal moment in my college search. That tour solidified that this is where I wanted to go. So, it's really cool being able to be that person for other families and share my very positive experience here at Iowa.”
It was her work as a tour guide that led to her providing the voice-over for the new halftime commercial. The Office of Strategic Communication contacted the Office of Admissions, asking for recommendations for students who might be a good fit. They pointed to Flynn.
“I was asked if I wanted to be in an Iowa commercial, and I was like, ‘Heck, yes!’” Flynn says.
Wilson says finding Flynn was serendipity.
“Her commitment and enthusiasm were exactly what we were looking for,” Wilson says. “As soon as we played the draft with her recording, we said, ‘This is it.’ And then hearing how well the script reflected her real experience just made it all feel that much more meant to be.”
Flynn says her family and friends are excited to hear her voice on national television. As for her, she’s proud to play a role in representing the University of Iowa.
“It’s kind of surreal because I grew up going to or watching football every Saturday on TV, so it’s really cool to be a part of that,” Flynn says. “It’s a really special feeling.”
Hyped for halftime!
Peyton Flynn says she is stoked for every halftime performance this football season, but there is one that stands out a little above the rest.
“I am most excited for our Wicked show,” Flynn says. “The drill is written by Dr. Eric Bush, and he always does such a phenomenal job. It’s just going to be incredible.”
She’s also excited about the first halftime show, which will be dedicated to Lou Crist. It will be Crist’s last game serving as the Hawkeye Marching Band announcer, a position he has held since 1981.
“It will be weird not hearing his voice saying, ‘It’s time to get ready for the boom!’” Flynn says. “He’s put so much time and effort into the band, and he deserves a good show. We’ll be playing songs like ‘Thunderstruck’ and ‘Crazy Train,’ and it will be a lot of fun.”
