Clinton, Iowa (CNN) The way Pete Buttigieg tells it, he first realized "this campaign's getting somewhere" when he met Bridgette Bissell at a house party in Muscatine, Iowa.

"Because of your campaign, I feel like I can be myself," the 16-year-old, who has autism, told Buttigieg after his remarks. "I can go to school and talk about what I believe in, and I don't have to be ashamed of who I am."

Since that meeting, Buttigieg has shared that story on the trail on stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina. But his stop here in Clinton on Tuesday, as part of his bus tour through the state, was the first time Buttigieg reunited with the young supporter.

"This is a very special appearance because I'm being reunited with somebody whose story I've been sharing lately," Buttigieg told the audience. "And I'm proud to know that a campaign can help her feel like she can stand up tall and be who she is. Because that means that, long before the first vote is even cast, we are creating that kind of culture of belonging that every one of our supporters can spread, that everyone who is here can go out and spread to others, to let everybody know where you fit."

Bissell said Buttigieg sharing their meeting on the trail has changed her life, too.

Read More