Courtesy | Gage Skidmore
Erika Kirk will address the class of 2026 as commencement speaker on May 9, Hillsdale College announced last week. The Collegian broke the news online.
Kirk is the CEO and chair of Turning Point USA, roles she stepped into after the assassination of her husband, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, last September.
“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,” College President Larry Arnn said. “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.”
Erika Kirk received 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.
Kirk won Miss Arizona USA in 2012 and competed in Miss USA 2012. Her professional accomplishments include hosting the weekly devotional series “Midweek Rise Up” and leading a Christian clothing and lifestyle brand that seeks to help believers live their faith and learn the Bible from cover to cover, according to its website.
“It is a great honor to be invited to speak at the Hillsdale College graduation ceremony,” Kirk said in a statement. “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.”
Arnn announced in a speech at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in September that Charlie and Erika Kirk will both receive honorary degrees at commencement.
In her public remarks at the service, Kirk said she forgave her husband’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson.
“Hillsdale represents something rare in our time — a steadfast devotion to faith, learning, and the principles that sustain a free nation,” Kirk said in the statement. “I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and look forward to being there with all of you. God bless you.”
Senior Hinson Peed, former president of College Republicans, said he looks forward to hearing Kirk’s advice for graduates.
“Erika not only suffered the loss of her husband but has also managed to continue his legacy as CEO of one of the largest conservative youth organizations in the country,” Peed said. “She’s faced more obstacles than many of us will ever face, and she has achieved more success than many of us can hope for. I look forward to hearing her story on how to continue to stand up for the conservative values we learned here at Hillsdale out in the real world — even when it may become increasingly harder and more dangerous to do.”
Some seniors expressed concern that inviting Kirk to address the class of 2026 does not reflect the desires of the student body and will be perceived as a political statement, distracting from the accomplishments of the graduating class.
“I was disappointed to hear the announcement of Erika Kirk as our commencement speaker,” senior and legacy board member Rachel Dunphey said. “Completely irrespective of any personal political affiliations, I believe that having Kirk as a commencement speaker necessarily turns what should be a celebration of four years of hard work into a political statement.”
Last year’s commencement speaker was Victor Davis Hanson, the military historian and conservative political commentator.
Senior Jonathan Williams said he shares the concerns of his classmates that the selection makes graduation too much about the current political moment.
“Erika Kirk’s political associations will inevitably bring national conversations into what many hoped would be a more close-knit occasion,” Williams said. “Still, one of Hillsdale’s virtues is open-mindedness. The senior class should not close itself off to what she has to say or allow reservations about the choice to sour our excitement for graduation before it even arrives. Though I have political disagreements with her, I cannot deny that since her husband’s death she has shown remarkable resilience and grace — qualities anyone can admire. She should be welcomed with courtesy and respect.”
This article has been updated as of March 12, 2026.
