Erika Kirk recalls honeymoon with Charlie a day after wedding anniversary in emotional commencement speech

Just one day after celebrating her first wedding anniversary as a widow, Erika Kirk shared a touching memory from her honeymoon while addressing hundreds of graduates.

Erika, who has served as CEO of Turning Point USA since the death of her husband Charlie Kirk, gave the commencement speech at Hillsdale College in Michigan on Saturday.

Giving an emotional speech to graduates of the conservative Christian college, the artist shared an anecdote about his honeymoon, which he said was ‘painful’ but also brought happiness.

She explained that she was thinking about the issue while celebrating 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 broke the rules of his ‘phone-free’ honeymoon to listen to Hillsdale lectures while encouraging new graduates to continue learning throughout their lives.

The address marks Erika’s first high-profile public appearance since announcing she was stepping back from the spotlight following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack.

Erika was among hundreds of guests escorted out of the Washington Hilton after a gunman opened fire and was seen breaking down in tears as she was escorted to safety.

Her Hillsdale speech came a day after Kirk shared a heartbreaking anniversary tribute that included clips of their wedding, family time with their kids, and a montage of intimate, everyday moments as a couple.

Just a day earlier, she celebrated her wedding anniversary with her late husband, who was killed by an assassin’s bullet during a campus event in Utah last year.

‘While our children may not see our love ‘growing old together’ from an earthly perspective, they will see it from a Heavenly perspective,’ the widow wrote.

‘And I will tell them our love story whenever I can,’ he added. ‘Happy Birthday to the love of my life.’

Ahead of Saturday’s speech, the TPUSA chief said she was ‘honored’ to deliver the keynote speech at the same school where her husband takes dozens of online classes.

‘Charlie loved Hillsdale deeply and was often a grateful student for its online courses; Deeply committed to truth and the pursuit of wisdom, Dr. “He was learning from Larry Arnn and remarkable faculty members,” he said.

‘Hillsdale represents something rare in our time: an unwavering commitment to faith, learning, and the principles that sustain a free nation. I sincerely appreciate the invitation and look forward to being there with you all.’

Charlie, himself a college dropout, frequently criticized higher education as a waste; He outlined this attitude in his 2022 book The College Scam.

He made an exception for the Michigan campus, though, saying in a speech in February 2025: ‘There’s no place like Hillsdale College. Students are different. “They’re focused on the right things.”

Longtime Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, who eulogized Charlie at last year’s memorial, revealed that he had completed more than 30 online courses through the institution.

The widow told the graduating class that the way her husband lived his too-short life was a ‘fantastic blueprint’ for them to follow

In a post viewed over five million times on X, Erika shared several clips from her wedding and time spent with Charlie as a family

Erika recalled how Charlie had broken the rules of their ‘phone-free’ honeymoon to listen to Hillsdale lectures given by longtime Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn.

He said the school will award honorary degrees to Erika and her late husband at the 2026 graduation ceremony and was “delighted” to name her as the commencement speaker.

‘Charlie Kirk became a national and international sensation and built something amazing,’ Arnn said.

‘The commemoration ceremony was watched by adults, people close to adults and tens of millions of people. “But that’s not why we love it,” he added. ‘We loved him because at heart he was a student who worked hard to do everything right.’

‘Brave widow Erika Kirk wants to move on. We will help him too.’

At Saturday’s graduation ceremony, the widow told graduates that the way her husband lived his too-short life was a “fantastic blueprint” for them to follow.

He said every student in the audience was created for a life that would lift them up, and warned that if they were looking for “ugliness, conspiracy and pain” instead, they would find it.

‘When you start your first day as a graduate, build carefully, choose wisely, and aim for what is beautiful and right, not what is easy or urgent,’ Erika said.

She also paid tribute to the United States and encouraged graduates to follow in her husband’s footsteps to contribute to a stronger country.

Hillsdale president awarded honorary degrees to Erika and her late husband during the ceremony

Erika paid tribute to the United States and encouraged graduates to follow in her husband’s footsteps to contribute to a stronger country

“Our country isn’t perfect, but gosh, it’s good,” Erika said.

Meanwhile, outside the closed ceremony, a group of protesters gathered at a demonstration organized by Hope In Action. Facebook post.

The group listed several reasons for its existence; these include the claim that Turning Point USA ‘is a national right-wing political machine organizing young people toward MAGA politics, anti-trans rhetoric, anti-DEI backlash, and culture-war extremism.’

‘This is about protecting our communities. The post stated that TPUSA’s policies fuel attacks against LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, educators, racial justice work, reproductive freedom, and anyone who resists authoritarianism.

‘We protest the normalization of extremism. “Giving honorary degrees and graduation platforms to individuals affiliated with this movement shows students and the public that hate, disinformation, and authoritarian policies deserve celebration,” he added.

‘We protest because silence is permission. ‘When institutions stand up to individuals and organizations that harm our neighbors, we show up, raise our voices, and make it clear: hate has no place here.’