Erika Kirk shared a touching memory from her honeymoon as she addressed hundreds of graduates just a day after marking her first wedding anniversary as a widow.
Erika, who serves as CEO of Turning Point USA since her husband Charlie Kirk‘s death, gave the commencement speech at Hillsdale College in Michigan on Saturday.
Speaking emotionally to graduates of the conservative Christian college, she shared an anecdote from her honeymoon which she said was ‘painful’ but also brought her happiness.
She explained she had been reflecting on it as she marked her first wedding anniversary without her late husband, who was killed by an assassin’s bullet during a campus event in Utah last year.
Erika fondly recalled how Kirk had broken the rules of their ‘no-phone’ honeymoon to listen to Hillsdale lectures as she encouraged the new graduates to continue learning throughout their lives.
The address marks Erika’s first high profile public appearance since she announced she was taking a step back from the spotlight in the wake of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting.
Erika was among the hundreds of guests who were escorted out of the Washington Hilton after a gunman opened fire and was seen in floods of tears as she was raced to safety.
Her speech at Hillsdale came a day after she shared a heart-wrenching anniversary tribute to Kirk featuring a montage of wedding clips, family time spent with their children and candid, everyday moments as a couple.
Erika Kirk gave the commencement speech at Hillsdale College in Michigan on Saturday
Just a day earlier, she marked her wedding anniversary with her late husband, who was killed by an assassin’s bullet during a campus event in Utah months earlier
‘Even though our kids won’t see our love “grow old together” from an earthly stand point, they’ll see it from a Heavenly one,’ the widow wrote.
‘And I’ll tell them of our love story any moment I can,’ she added. ‘Happy Anniversary to the love of my life.’
Ahead of Saturday’s speech, the TPUSA chief said she felt ‘honored’ to deliver the keynote address at the same school where her husband took dozens of online classes.
‘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.
‘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.’
A college dropout himself, Charlie frequently criticized higher education as a waste, a stance he outlined in his 2022 book The College Scam.
Still, he carved out an exception for the Michigan campus, saying during a February 2025 speech: ‘There is no place like Hillsdale College. The students are different. They’re focused on the right things.’
Longtime Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, who praised Charlie during his memorial service last year, revealed that he had completed more than 30 online courses through the institution.
Ahead of Saturday’s speech, the TPUSA chief said she felt ‘honored’ to deliver the keynote address
In a post on X with over five million views, Erika shared several clips of her wedding and time she and Charlie spent together as a family
The widow told the graduating class that the way her husband lived his far-too-short life is a ‘fantastic blueprint’ for them to follow
The widow shared a montage of everyday, candid moments with Charlie
He said he would award honorary degrees to Erika and her late husband at the school’s 2026 graduation and was ‘pleased’ to name her as the commencement speaker.
‘Charlie Kirk became a national and international sensation, and he built something amazing,’ Arnn said.
‘At his memorial service were the great, the near-great, and tens of millions watching. But that isn’t why we loved him,’ he added. ‘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.’
During Saturday’s commencement, the widow told graduates that the way her husband lived his far-too-short life is a ‘fantastic blueprint’ for them to follow.
She said that each student in the audience is meant for a life that lifts them upward, and warning that if they are instead seeking ‘ugly, conspiracy, and pain,’ they will find it.
‘As you start day one as a graduate, build carefully, choose wisely and aim not at what is easy or immediate, but what is beautiful and true,’ Erika said.
She also paid tribute to the United States and encouraged graduates to follow in her husband’s footsteps in contributing to a stronger nation.
Hillsdale’s president awarded honorary degrees to Erika and her late husband during the ceremony
Erika recalled how Charlie had broken the rules of their ‘no-phone’ honeymoon to listen to Hillsdale lectures with longtime Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn
Erika paid tribute to the United States and encouraged graduates to follow in her husband’s footsteps in contributing to a stronger nation
‘Our country is not perfect, but my goodness is she good,’ Erika declared.
Meanwhile, outside the closed ceremony, a group of protesters gathered in a demonstration organized by Hope In Action, according to a Facebook post.
The group listed several reasons for its presence, including a claim that Turning Point USA ‘is a national right-wing political machine organizing young people into MAGA politics, anti-trans rhetoric, anti-DEI backlash, and culture-war extremism.’
‘This is about protecting our communities. TPUSA’s politics have fueled attacks on LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, educators, racial justice work, reproductive freedom, and anyone resisting authoritarianism,’ the post read.
‘We are protesting the normalization of extremism. Giving honorary degrees and commencement platforms to figures tied to this movement tells students and the public that hate, disinformation, and authoritarian politics deserve celebration,’ it added.
‘We are protesting because silence is permission. When institutions uplift people and organizations that harm our neighbors, we show up, get loud, and make it clear: hate has no place here.’
