Hillsdale College announced Friday that Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of its founder, Charlie Kirk, will serve as the keynote speaker during graduation ceremonies this May.
“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,” Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn said in a statement. “Erika Kirk, brave and widowed, intends to carry on. And we will help her.”
Dr. Arnn announced during Kirk’s memorial service in September that Hillsdale College will confer honorary doctorates on both Charlie and Erika Kirk at the May 2026 graduation ceremony. Previous honorary degree recipients include Justice Clarence Thomas, Edwin J. Feulner, Bishop Robert Barron, Pat and Lesly Sajak, and Victor Davis Hanson.
“I’m privileged to know lots and lots of high-minded, intelligent and serious young people,” Arnn said. “Charlie is one of the best I ever saw. It’s an honor to have known him.”
Kirk became the CEO of TPUSA following the assassination of her husband last September. She holds 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.
“It is a great honor to be invited to speak at the Hillsdale College Graduation Ceremony on May 9,” Kirk said. “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.”
“Hillsdale represents something rare in our time — a steadfast devotion to faith, learning, and the principles that sustain a free nation,” she added. “I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and look forward to being there with all of you. God bless you.”
Hillsdale, an independent liberal arts college in southern Michigan, is revered for being one of the only institutions of higher learning with a strong conservative Christian identity. Founded in 1844, the college has a reputation for offering a classical liberal arts core curriculum and never accepting federal or state taxpayer subsidies, including student grants or loans.
