Vanguard University

Rebekah Robeck ’26 is a liberal arts major at Vanguard University with a double minor in theology and business. She’s also consistently involved on campus, served as a vocalist on the worship team during her sophomore year, and was a Resident Advisor for two years. But recently, the spotlight has been on her not for her involvement on campus, but rather the work she’s been doing in the community. In November, Robeck was recognized as an Aspiring Leader at the 2025 Greater Irvine Chamber ASPIRE Conference for her nonprofit, Let’s Be Kind, which aims to create a student-led culture of unity through kindness on school campuses.

The Genesis of Let's Be Kind

Although it was not yet an official organization, Robeck started the work of Let’s Be Kind at just 13 years old after spending three years living in El Salvador with her family. When they first moved out of the country, Robeck attended an international school where she was met with unmatched kindness and compassion from the other students. On her first day, several girls approached her to say hello and saved a desk for her in class, which set the tone for her experience throughout her time there. “I made so many good friendships, both in school and outside of school. My church was amazing too. The culture is just very friendly and welcoming,” she said.  
 
When she returned to Costa Mesa as a seventh-grader three years later, Robeck had a starkly different experience. “I became part of this friend group, and while I was grateful to have friends, these friends would make fun of me. They would tease me,” she recalled. Robeck’s mom asked her how she would respond to their hurtful words, and instead of reacting in anger, Robeck chose to respond in love. With the help of her mom, she brought pizzas for the entire seventh- and eighth-grade classes, with signs on the boxes that said “Let’s be kind.”

Let’s Be Kind Takes Off

What was intended as a one-time conversation starter about treating each other kindly became the first of many events organized by Robeck and her mother. When she was in eighth grade, they hosted their first official Let’s Be Kind Day at Costa Mesa Middle School, which included pizza, prizes, and T-shirts for every student. “I felt like the Lord was prompting me to do more,” Robeck explained. When she entered high school, several students and school administrators asked her about hosting another event, which led to the organization’s founding when Robeck was 15 years old. 

Today, Let’s Be Kind organizes events in more than 30 schools and has reached more than 21,000 students in the Newport Beach and Costa Mesa area. 

The Impact of Let’s Be Kind

While the events held on school campuses occur only once a year, Let’s Be Kind has created a lasting positive impact on the culture and environment in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District throughout the past 10 years. Administrators have reported less fighting, fewer students being sent to the principal’s office, and even the creation of student-led kindness clubs on campus. “You can slowly see, over the years, the impact of kindness and how [students are] treating each other, and it’s created leaders within the schools, which is also something we’re passionate about,” Robeck shared. Through the Let’s Be Kind organization, elementary, middle, and high school students are all encouraged to “keep their circles open” to others and promote kindness on their school campuses throughout the year.

Guided by Faith

One of the things Robeck struggled with moving back from El Salvador was no longer being a missionary. The birth of Let’s Be Kind filled that hole. “I feel like it was the Lord opening that door for me to say, ‘go be a missionary on your school campus.’” Even amid the struggles of running a nonprofit while in school, Robeck felt God leading her to push through. She remembers one particularly challenging season in which she and her mom nearly closed Let’s Be Kind: “I felt like the Lord said, ‘Remember David and Goliath?’ Nobody thought David was going to beat Goliath, but the Lord gave him the strength, and he put on the armor of God and went out and defeated Goliath.”
 

The Future of Let’s Be Kind

Following God’s calling to serve campuses through Let’s Be Kind has allowed it to grow into something more than Robeck ever imagined. And it continues to grow—this year, Let’s Be Kind created workbooks for use in school classrooms, giving students an opportunity to practice kindness and empathy every day of the school year. Beyond that, Robeck taught a class of Vanguard University students how to lead the program, giving others an opportunity to be Let’s Be Kind advocates. As she prepares for graduation in Spring 2026, Robeck and her mom are making plans to expand the organization’s impact, bringing kindness to campuses throughout Orange County and beyond.