Turning Point USA, a conservative student organization, recently piloted a chapter at LFHS.

The club’s formation was inspired by the conservative ideas promoted by Charlie Kirk, who created and led Turning Point until his death in September of 2025. 

TPUSA had around 37,000 applications after Kirk’s death, with Lake Forest being one of them. Proposed by junior Maggie Corbett, the pilot club was approved in early October.

“The process of becoming a club included making sure our goals were clear and that the club would follow school rules and be a positive, respectful space,” said Maggie Corbett. 

The club is currently in its ‘pilot’ phase, meaning that the 2025-26 school year is its trial run. If club requirements are met, it will officially become a club starting next fall.

Part of the requirements to start a club at LFHS is having a teacher sponsor. Both Jim Matheson and Joe Harmsen have stepped up to fill that role. 

“I hope that they are able to expand their thinking on all sorts of different topics and, no matter where they stand on current events, engage in open discussions,” said Matheson. “For the most part, I let them converse back and forth, and I’m there as a sounding board if needed.” 

With over 1,000 high school chapters, TPUSA’s central goal is to “Identify, Educate, Train, and Organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. Turning Point USA believes that every young person can be enlightened to true free market values.” 

This goal is pursued through respectful debates, group discussions, and educational games at the high school. They also hope to organize more community service events and host speakers.

They are quickly fulfilling their goals as a pilot chapter. They’ve hosted guest speakers and have arranged a volunteering event at Fill a Heart 4 Kids with Stevensons TPUSA chapter. 

“These activities are meant to keep meetings engaging, interactive, and interesting. We already had Charlie Kim come visit and share about his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Corbett. 

The school previously hosted a Young Americans for Freedom before students started TPUSA. 

“Our Turning Point is different because it is meant to be inclusive to and open to all students. Instead of promoting one ideology, this club focuses on discussion, learning, service, and hearing from a variety of voices, including guest speakers, rather than just advocacy,” said Corbett.

Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month. A typical meeting holds a discussion on current events, with everyone having a space to speak freely and verbalize their thoughts and opinions on topics. 

“Our meetings can be anything from civil discussions to having a guest speaker. But if we are having a discussion, typically a topic is introduced, and from there people have the freedom to discuss their thoughts and opinions in a safe space,” said Vice President Alexandra Carris. 

While Turning Point is not officially tied to the Republican Party, many of its members align themselves with conservative beliefs. 

“I would recommend this club to other people to expand their horizons and knowledge about current events,” said Carris. “I also think it’s a great way to hear other people’s opinions and perspectives on events.” 

For anyone interested, the next meeting will be on March 11 in room 231. 

“The club is meant to help students think critically, share ideas, and feel included. Everyone is welcome at our club,” said Corbett.