Erika Kirk urges Hillsdale grads to 'live rightly' in commencement speech

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Erika Kirk urged Hillsdale College graduates to defend truth, embrace their responsibilities as Christians and Americans, and strengthen their communities through faithful living during a commencement speech Saturday in Michigan.

Kirk, wife of the late Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, who was assassinated last September, reflected on her husband's legacy during Hillsdale College's commencement ceremony while encouraging graduates to “live rightly,” even in a divided culture.

Living life this way “may save our souls and perhaps by the mercy of God, contribute to the preservation of our country,” added Kirk, who was named CEO of TPUSA following her husband's death. 

Kirk told graduates that the responsibility to pursue and defend truth now rests with them, emphasizing that the calling shouldn't feel overwhelming but instead serve as an anchor.

“And starting tomorrow, you are now in a position where truth must be pursued and defended. And that responsibility comes from your identity as Christians, as Americans, and as graduates of Hillsdale College,” she continued. “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.” 

Kirk also spoke about the complementary roles men and women play in supporting families and communities.

“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.”

Hours before Kirk delivered the commencement address, more than three dozen demonstrators gathered outside the Hillsdale County Courthouse to protest the speech, the Hillsdale Daily News reported. 

Anita Ledesma, who organized the protest, said she wanted to raise awareness about what the school is teaching and its involvement in classical education models at affiliated charter schools.

“We want people to look into these classical academies and see what they’re teaching,” Ledesma said. “People should research voucher programs and where that money is going.”

A group called Hope in Action organized the demonstrations on Saturday in opposition to TPUSA and Hillsdale College. 

In a Friday post on Facebook that listed the reasons for protesting, Hope in Action described TPUSA as “a national right-wing political machine organizing young people into MAGA politics, anti-trans rhetoric, anti-DEI backlash, and culture-war extremism.”

“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,” Hope in Action claimed.

Following the commencement speech, Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn presented Erika Kirk with an honorary doctorate in public service, which she accepted on behalf of herself and her late husband. 

Arnn announced at Charlie Kirk’s memorial on Sept. 21, 2025, in Arizona that the TPUSA co-founder and his wife would both receive honorary degrees at Hillsdale College’s spring commencement. In March, Hillsdale College revealed that Erika Kirk would address the class of 2026 at its 174th commencement ceremony. 

“It is a great honor to be invited to speak at the Hillsdale College Graduation Ceremony,” Erika Kirk said in a statement at the time. “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. I am sincerely grateful for the invitation and look forward to being there with all of you. God bless you.”