I met Charlie Kirk at a Turning Point USA event last year. He had already spent hours on stage, yet still stayed afterward to speak with students one by one. During our conversation, Charlie mentioned he recognized my writing. For someone who had only recently read his first book, that moment carried real weight.

In 2024, during my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. For years, teachers labeled me lazy, tests often ended in frustration, and school felt like a system where long-term success seemed unlikely. My experience reflected what millions of students across the country face—being overlooked by a public education system that often fails to identify or adequately support them.

My diagnosis and treatment gave me the tools I needed to succeed in the very system that had failed me. After reading my first book, I discovered a genuine passion for politics. Within a year, I was publishing articles in national media.

Kirk’s podcast offered something fundamentally different from what I encountered in school. He emphasized clarity in debate, encouraged open disagreement, and broke down complex political issues in a way younger audiences could understand. At a time when only about 15% of eighth graders are proficient in U.S. history, Charlie’s approach filled a measurable gap.

My newfound passion for learning, which transformed my life within months, made me genuinely excited for college. After all, college is supposed to be an intellectual rebirth, something I had already experienced firsthand and learned to love.

At the same time, I began reading Kirk’s work, including The College Scam, in which he argues that many universities have moved away........

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