Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA after the murder of her husband, Charlie Kirk, gave the commencement speech at Hillsdale College in Michigan on May 9. Charlie Kirk had been a dedicated supporter of the college during his life; something attested to by his wife. “It is a great honor to be invited to speak at the Hillsdale College Graduation Ceremony on May 9. Charlie loved Hillsdale deeply and was often a grateful student of its online courses, learning from Dr. Larry Arnn and the remarkable faculty, who are so committed to truth and the pursuit of wisdom,” she said in a statement. “Hillsdale represents something rare in our time — a steadfast devotion to faith, learning, and the principles that sustain a free nation. I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and look forward to being there with all of you. God bless you.”

Speaking to a crowd of over 5,000, Kirk encouraged the students to “live rightly.” She called on them to defend the truth counterculturally. “And starting tomorrow, you are now in a position where truth must be pursued and defended,” she said. “And that responsibility comes from your identity as Christians, as Americans, and as graduates of Hillsdale College. Because to the world, they believe truth is something to be reshaped, but to all of us in this room, it is something to be honored.” She also called on men and women to embrace their specific roles. “To the men, you are called to provide, you are called to lead, to anchor your families in strength and consistency,” she said. “To the women, you are called to nurture, to build, to shape lives with wisdom and endurance.”

After the address, Hillsdale awarded Kirk with an honorary master’s degree in public service, which she accepted on behalf of herself and her husband. Mrs. Kirk has a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from Arizona State University and a juris master in American legal studies from Liberty University. Charlie Kirk was an outspoken and proud college dropout. Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn presented the degree. Charlie Kirk was 19 years old when the two met. From that meeting, a 13-year friendship developed with Arnn speaking at Kirk’s memorial after his death. “Charlie Kirk became a national and international sensation, and he built something amazing. At his memorial service were the great, the near-great, and tens of millions watching. But that isn’t why we loved him,” said Arnn. “We loved him because he was, at heart, a student who worked hard to get it right. Erika Kirk, brave and widowed, intends to carry on. And we will help her.”

Around three dozen people protested about a mile outside the event, with some protesting Hillsdale and others protesting TPUSA. “We want people to look into these classical academies and see what they’re teaching. People should research voucher programs and where that money is going,” said Anita Ledesma, who organized the protest. The group Hope in Action called TPUSA “a national right-wing political machine organizing young people into MAGA politics, anti-trans rhetoric, anti-DEI backlash, and culture-war extremism,” in a Facebook post. “Hillsdale and TPUSA are part of the same broader far-right education pipeline — pushing ‘patriotic education,’ attacking public schools, rewriting history, and training the next generation of conservative activists.”