By Jen Schumann | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
I’m writing this from a rainy weekend in Vallecito, Colorado, sitting in a small A-frame with my young adult son. It’s quiet here, but grief followed me. In the past I think about how inadequate I am to help my children and grandchildren face adversity and challenges in life and I see how fallible my attempts are.
And yet, in this moment, I feel — with Charlie Kirk — emboldened in a way I never have before, even though we are heartbroken.
To American youth: this is for you.
Like so many others, I’ve been wrestling with how to make sense of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I am a mom, a grandma and a former teacher. But like Charlie taught countless young people, we don’t stop when life is heavy — we take up the torch.
What Erika asked of you
On Friday night, Erika Kirk stood before the country, weeping yet unbroken. “The movement my husband built will not die. It won’t. I refuse to let that happen.”
She told her three-year-old, “Daddy’s on a work trip with Jesus,” and then turned to you, “If you’re in high school or college, find your local Turning Point USA chapter; if you can’t find one, start one; and — above all — join a Bible-believing church. Our battle is spiritual before it is political.”
Her Instagram post amplified that call: the cry of a widow turned into a battle cry for a generation.
Jason Bias, a Colorado Mesa University TPUSA leader, said Erika’s words hit him hard. “I broke down… I cried the whole time because I just saw the strength and courage that she had to come out only two days after,” he said. Bias said Erika’s words reminded him that youth can’t wait to be perfectly prepared before stepping up. “Youthful aspiration can come off naive… I was naive when I first got involved in all this,” he admitted. “But you grow so much more when you just do it. That’s the whole Nike saying — just do it.”
What courage looks like on campus
Heidi Ganahl remembers serving as a quiet “help hotline” when conservative students were being shouted down — walking issues to administrators so students could stand without being exposed.
She shared one case that captures the kinds of battles she fought as a Regent.
“A mom called me and told me that her daughter had just moved into her dorm room and discovered that her new roommate was transgender — a biological male,” Ganahl said. “They were terrified to go to the school because they were afraid they would be accused of being transphobic.”
Administrators told the student there was nothing they could do because assignments were based on gender identity. “I raised hell and said that’s absolutely inappropriate,” she recalled. “I went to the media without naming the student, and worked to make that an opt-in rather than an opt-out.”
On free speech, Ganahl said hundreds of students and faculty reached out about bullying and discrimination. She helped many file complaints and push back.
Out of that work came the Free to Be Coalition to help students find their voice, stand strong and learn to debate. “Charlie helped me a lot on that front,” Ganahl said, noting that he worked with her to figure out how to get Turning Point chapters bold enough to stand up and speak out.
Jason Bias remembers the electric feeling at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit (SAS) in Tampa, July 11–13, 2025, where more than 5,000 students filled the convention center to hear from Charlie Kirk, Tucker Carlson and others. “It’s like a festival for young conservatives… faith-based, red, white and blue — with a hundred reasons for being there,” he said.
People like Cindy Ficklin — a mother and former teacher — stepped up before Kirk was killed, quietly sponsoring Mesa County students and joining them on the trip. Expect more of it now — small acts compounding into movement.
Bias said Charlie’s legacy rests on two words: courage and faith. “He went on to the most liberal institutions and spoke conservative ideas to them. That’s courageous,” he said. “Every conversation he had, he mentioned the Lord Jesus Christ… the way to get saved… the way to righteousness… and to spark conversation.”
Why your voice matters now
Large crowds gathered in London to mourn Charlie — a visible sign that this moment is bigger than one nation. Eric Daugherty shared aerial footage of the crowd, writing, “Over a million British patriots are gathering in London to mourn Charlie Kirk… History is being made.”
Eric Trump announced he would donate proceeds from his new book Under Siege to TPUSA: “In honor of Charlie’s life and his incredible legacy, I will be donating a portion of the proceeds from Under Siege to Turning Point USA to continue their amazing work. May God bless Charlie, his wife Erika, their children, and may God bless the United States of America.”
Ordinary Americans shattered fundraising records in the days since Charlie was killed. Campaigns on GiveSendGo alone raised more than $2.8 million — the fastest surge in the platform’s history — with additional GoFundMe efforts for Erika, the children and memorials. Grief quickly turned to action.
Bias sees it firsthand. “So many… have reached out to me in the last few days saying, ‘Jason, how can I get involved? How can I step up now and lead?’” he said. For him, the principle is simple: “The minute that discourse ends is when violence begins. We can’t let that discourse end.”
How to carry the torch now
- Join or start a TPUSA chapter at your school (TPUSA.com)
- Show up Sunday, September 14, 2 p.m. at BRAVE Church (RSVP here)
- Join a Bible-teaching church and plant your life there
- Adopt a student if you’re a parent, grandparent or mentor — bring food, show up, have their back
Jason offers a word to youth who feel alone: “Read Psalms 23… [The Lord] leads you to the still waters… will restore your soul… although you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, you can’t fear the evil one.”
We aren’t just passing you the torch — we are running beside you. The fire doesn’t dim when it’s shared — it spreads.
From grief to action
In her closing, Erika Kirk said she would never let her husband’s legacy die. She promised to make Turning Point USA “the biggest thing that this nation has ever seen.” That’s not only her promise — it’s ours.
For every parent, grandparent, mentor and youth leader, this is the moment to act. To build families. To live the American dream. To prove that evil cannot snuff out a movement built on faith, freedom and courage.
As Bobbie Daniel wrote in The Courage of a Calling, courage is contagious. One life lived with conviction can inspire countless others to stand.
The greatest revenge is success.
But success isn’t only battles won. As Erika reminded us, Charlie’s faith was anchored in Ephesians 5:25 — covenant love that lays itself down. In the hardest moments, resist the urge to vindicate through your own strength. Build instead — families, churches and communities that endure.
That beauty is captured in music as well. Alex Warren’s Ordinary hums with the hope of love and redemption: “You’re the sculptor, I’m the clay.”
In remembering Charlie Kirk, may we carry both his charge to act boldly and his invitation to see God’s beauty in the ordinary — to live faithfully, to love deeply and to build something extraordinary together.
Join or start a Turning Point USA Chapter
RSVP to BRAVE Church event Remembering Charlie Kirk
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.
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