A Wisconsin high school has revised its policy on student organizations after a junior inspired by the late Charlie Kirk’s work with Turning Point USA (TPUSA) sought to start a chapter on campus — and received support from a former governor in the process, as reported by Fox News.

Catie Smiley, a student at Lake Country Classical Academy (LCCA), which is affiliated with Hillsdale College, decided to create a TPUSA chapter after being motivated by Kirk’s activism and message.

“She was deeply moved by Charlie’s work. She actually has been long involved, going to different young Americans events around the college campuses,” her mother, Melissa Smiley, told Fox News Digital.

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Following Kirk’s memorial service on September 13, TPUSA reported receiving more than 120,000 inquiries from people interested in starting new chapters. Catie was among those determined to bring the organization’s message of civic engagement to her school.

“She had caught wind that there had been an attempt for Turning Point chapters,” her mother said.

“She’s very motivated by the mission, and she felt it aligned so well with the school as well as giving an opportunity for students to engage in debates and civil discourse–giving them an opportunity to network and to have exposure to leaders across a variety of institutions and in the public sphere as well.”

Catie and her peers presented a proposal to school officials to open a TPUSA chapter, which her mother described as a “wonderful presentation.” However, the school initially rejected the request, citing a policy that prohibits political organizations and clubs on campus.

This is Catie Smiley, 17, the Wisconsin teen who just wants to start a Turning Point chapter at her Hillsdale member charter school Lake Country Classical Academy in conservative Oconomowoc WI. And the adults at the school are saying no.

SUPPORT CATIE. pic.twitter.com/io73s0f2Lx

— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) October 11, 2025

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The decision triggered pushback from parents and community members, including former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, an honorary board member of the academy, and representatives from Turning Point Action.

Walker and TPUSA staff advocated for Catie’s effort, helping her communicate with school administrators to review the decision. In response, Lake Country Classical Academy Principal Margaret Hagedorn released a statement explaining the school’s approach.

“We clarified our fidelity to Hillsdale’s model and curriculum. After good discussions with TPUSA, we’ve agreed to create a school-sanctioned Civics Club that will promote civic practice for students and complement the hard work we do here within the parameters of the school’s own policies,” she told Fox News Digital.

LCCA, as a Hillsdale College Member School, operates under guidance that discourages affiliations with outside political or religious organizations. However, the recent controversy prompted the school’s board to revisit its policies.

In a letter to parents, officials confirmed they were working on how to move forward with allowing greater civic engagement opportunities for students.

Melissa Smiley shared that her daughter’s determination grew even stronger following Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

“She was extremely moved by that. She’s been to a couple of vigils, and she just really felt the pull to actually work on this now. So we worked together. I helped her with the resources and everything. She got in touch with a field rep. They were helping her through and it looks signed, sealed, and delivered,” she said.

Kirk, who would have turned 32 on Tuesday, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House. After the school confirmed the creation of its new Civics Club aligned with TPUSA, Smiley praised the next generation of conservatives for their activism.

“The attention that this draws to the greater issue and how wonderful that young people and these younger generations are feeling so motivated, and they’re seeing that things need to happen and change,” she said.

“And they’re being activists. I admire it because, when I was younger, I was too afraid to be any type of activist. So I think it’s fantastic that they feel so emboldened and that they can help kind of bridge some of the discourse that’s happening in the country.”