Charlie Kirk Sparked the Turning Point of My Life

By Eann Tang

On March 9, 2023, I met Charlie Kirk in person during his “Live Free Tour” at the University of Illinois Chicago. At the time, I was a freshman at the University of Illinois, who had only recently begun identifying as a conservative, after years of leaning to the left throughout high school.

At the event, I walked up to the mic and asked him about his views on the Second Amendment. After our exchange, I thanked him for the work he was doing and told him that he was one of the primary reasons I had finally “woken up” from being a leftist and socialist.

He looked at me and said, “You are why I do what I do.” As I walked past him to return to my seat, he quietly called me over again and simply said, “Thank you.” I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.

The next morning, I woke up to find myself on Charlie Kirk’s and Turning Point USA’s social media feeds, recognized as a young student willing to open his mind and ask questions. But the truth is, it was Charlie Kirk and his mission through Turning Point USA that made that transformation possible for me. His voice, his courage, and his unapologetic love for this country were the catalysts that reshaped my thinking.

Before my exchange with Charlie that evening, I met a couple of field reps from Turning Point USA and the Leadership Institute. When I told them I was a student at the University of Illinois, they informed me that our TPUSA chapter was inactive and asked if I’d be interested in bringing it back. I exchanged contacts, unsure of what would come of it.

After the video of my interaction with Charlie went viral, I received message after message from the field reps I’d met previously asking if I was still willing to help re-establish the chapter at the University of Illinois. I started thinking, if a school like UIC can host such a powerful event with Charlie, what could we achieve at the state’s flagship university? That’s when I made my decision. Not just to restart the University of Illinois chapter, but to dedicate my college years to the conservative cause: to patriotism, to Christian moral values, and to the defense of personal liberty, which Charlie Kirk fought tooth and nail for over the years.

Two years later, on April 8, 2025, I stood beside Charlie Kirk once again. This time, not just as an event volunteer, but as the chapter president of a revived and thriving Turning Point USA chapter at the University of Illinois. We hosted the largest speaker event ever held by a registered student organization on campus, with more than 5,000 tickets sold, every seat in the Foellinger Auditorium filled, and an overflow crowd outside. Charlie said that he was blown away by the attendance and enthusiasm on our campus, having been here 12 years ago, with fewer than 100 people attending.

That night was the pinnacle of our work, and one of the last campuses Charlie would ever visit. While we mourn deeply today, we also take solace in knowing that this place—our chapter, our campus—was and will remain part of his mission.

We lost a great Christian man, a patriot, a husband, and a loving father in this country. But what Charlie Kirk built will not die with his tragic passing. Charlie’s legacy lives on in the chapters he inspired, in the students he awakened, and in every young person who dares to speak truth in a time of fear and conformity.

In dark moments like this, we must not give in to bitterness or hatred. Let us not become like those who ghoulishly celebrated his death. Instead, let us honor Charlie’s legacy the way he would have wanted: by standing for truth, by creating dialogue—even with those who oppose you—and by never backing down from what is right.

Charlie Kirk was so much more than just a leader—he was an inspirational force for an entire generation.

Eann Tang is a communications intern with The Heartland Institute.