Reflecting on Change and Continuous Learning
Last year, my wife and I made a promise to ourselves. We wanted to stop coasting through life, embracing new lessons daily and growing both spiritually and intellectually. The untimely death of Charlie Kirk was a wake-up call for us. It forced me to look closely at myself and recognize the ways I had been coasting in my spiritual and educational journeys. When you’re coasting, it usually indicates a downward trend—and that’s not something you want in life.
Just last night, my wife and I had a remarriage ceremony, inspired by Charlie’s own re-commitment. I took a step further and enrolled in a free online course at Hillsdale College. It turns out he quietly completed around 30 courses before he passed, mastering crucial concepts of classical knowledge, civic understanding, and freedom. His relentless pursuit of learning reminded me that growth is a lifelong journey, regardless of age.
Education needs to regain its rightful place as a force that shapes our hearts and future.
This message is especially pressing for two groups: young adults and those who are comfortable with the status quo. Learning is essential; if you stop, it feels like you’re slowly fading away. Many young adults discover that university can be a trap. After twelve years of schooling, many graduates find themselves unprepared for the realities of life. Research shows that only about 35% of seniors can read proficiently, and just 22% are skilled in math, despite being asked to invest more than $100,000 in a four-year degree.
Many of these new degree programs are proving to be unprofitable. Parents who have felt the sting of public education are often trapped into paying for a system that frequently underdelivers.
This is partly why Charlie labeled universities as a “fraud.” Students accumulate debt, wages don’t meet expectations, opportunities are scarce, and yet many continue to pour time and money into a broken system with little recourse. Graduate school often complicates this issue further, and the education system can feel like a factory producing despair instead of knowledge or virtue.
Reclaiming Educational Institutions
However, advocating for change doesn’t mean a radical revolt against education itself. It’s more about empowering individuals to reclaim educational institutions. Independent learning, self-directed research, and disciplined curiosity are akin to the “Napster moments” of our time. Just as Napster disrupted the music industry, the internet provides knowledge directly to everyone. Like Taylor Swift and others who navigate without traditional gatekeepers, students can pursue their intellectual freedom outside the confines of traditional institutions.
Everyone possesses the potential to think, create, and take action. That’s a power bestowed upon all of us. Knowledge, faith, and personal responsibility are interconnected. Learning isn’t merely a commodity you buy through tuition; it’s a birthright and a quest worth undertaking.
Charlie Kirk’s life serves as a reminder that self-education represents both rebellion and empowerment. Through his commitment to knowledge and engagement with civic life, he embodied the notion that freedom depends on informed, capable citizens. We honor him best by embracing that principle—we must refuse to relinquish our minds to a system that chooses ignorance over critical thought.
As we move forward, it’s crucial to reclaim education, agency, and the ability to mold our futures. Each day, we strive to learn, create, and act. Charlie has shown us the path, and now it’s our turn to carry that responsibility forward.
