Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk named Hillsdale College commencement speaker
Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder, Charlie Kirk, will be the 2026 commencement speaker at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan.
The May 9 ceremony will be closed to the public, but available to view via live streaming.
The late Charlie Kirk, 31, had connections to Hillsdale University, including taking online courses from Hillsdale and speaking on campus in February 2025. In his work with Turning Point USA, he was a key ally of President Donald Trump, credited with energizing and mobilizing the youth vote in the 2024 presidential election.
Charlie Kirk was killed in a Sept. 10 shooting while speaking at Utah Valley University. Charges against the suspect in the killing are pending in a Utah court.
Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn spoke at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk on Sept. 21, saying that he would present the activist with an honorary degree at the spring 2026 commencement ceremony.
"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. We loved him because he was, at heart, a student who worked hard to get it right," Arnn said. "Erika Kirk, brave and widowed, intends to carry on. And we will help her."
Erika Kirk has a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from Arizona State University and a Juris Master's in American legal studies from Liberty University.
"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," she said.
Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, is an independent, Christian liberal arts college in southern Michigan. About 1,400 students attend the campus.
