The 19th spoke with student leaders who launched their chapters after Charlie Kirk’s death

Published October 19, 2026 6:00AM (EDT)

Erika Kirk speaks onstage during The New York Times DealBook Summit 2025 on Dec. 3. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images for The New York Times))

This story was originally published by The 19th .

This story was originally reported by Mariel Padilla of The 19th . Meet Mariel and read more of their reporting on gender, politics and policy .

This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between States Newsroom and The 19th.

It was the beginning of her junior year, and 20-year-old Mia Tedesco was setting up a table for the campus open house where more than 200 recognized student organizations were preparing to recruit new students.…