Husker Rebekah Allick visits Aquinas Catholic
Aquinas Catholic Schools
The importance of living one’s Catholic faith was the simple yet profound reason Husker volleyball standout Rebekah Allick caught the attention of a student from Aquinas Catholic in David City.
Allick’s commitment to faith led to an unexpected connection that culminated in an inspiring visit to Aquinas during Catholic Schools Week Jan. 29, where she surprised more than 200 middle and high school students and faculty with her powerful testimony.
An Aquinas Catholic Middle School student attended a volleyball camp at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After the camp, players signed autographs—but Allick was missing. She had left early to attend Mass.
Months later, the student’s mother ran into Allick at the UNL Bookstore during a college visit, and asked for an autograph—and her contact information, if she’d consider speaking at Aquinas. The chance meeting set the stage for Allick to share her testimony with the students at Aquinas Catholic, offering wisdom on faith, friendship, and the power of what is allowed into our minds.
“It was providence that we were able to have Rebekah come during Catholic Schools Week on the day we celebrate the importance of community,” said Melissa Yindrick, campus ministry director at Aquinas.
Allick, who converted to Catholicism during college, spoke about the influence of those who people surround themselves with. She echoed the well-known principle, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” In her own journey, she said, her closest friends played a significant role in her faith conversion.
Yindrick continued: “And can we just say, Holy Spirit, thank you!?
“Rebekah’s message was so perfectly aligned with what we have been emphasizing with our students—from the importance of surrounding yourself with people who elevate you, to the power of the subconscious mind, the beauty of Adoration, and the life-changing truth that they are seen, known, and deeply loved. She was real, raw, and using her platform for good!”
The message resonated deeply with the students, especially as she highlighted the significance of what one consumes—whether through social media, friendships, or daily habits.
“What are you filling your head with on a regular basis?” she challenged the students. She told them to consider how music is not just a beat; the words are being consumed and impacting listeners on a subconscious level, as well.
She emphasized that while social media can be a powerful tool for connection, it also exposes us to influences that can either build us up or pull us away from our purpose.
“There are certain people that should be loved from a distance,” she joked, but in all seriousness, reminded students to be mindful of the company they keep.
Her testimony also reflected on the necessity of effort in growing in faith. Allick shared a quote from Father Mike Schmitz, a nationally-known speaker who she heard at a SEEK conference: “No one drifts to heaven.”
She encouraged students to be intentional in their spiritual lives, asking, “Are you actually making real effort to conquer sin? Or are you just hoping to float past it?”
One of the most powerful parts of her testimony was her emphasis on the simplicity of being with God.
“You just have to sit and receive,” she said. “It’s that simple—show up every day and receive.”
Allick spoke about the deep transformation she experienced through Eucharistic adoration, reminding students that God isn’t asking them to strive endlessly; He’s asking them to rest in Him.
“He cares about my quiet time when I sit with Him in the chapel.”
She also addressed the struggles of feeling unseen or overlooked, especially in the competitive world of athletics.
“Know that you aren’t overlooked,” she said, reinforcing the truth that each student is known, loved, and intentionally created by God.
“The whole Gospel is a love story,” she said. “It’s a giant story of how someone saw His people were damned to hell, and He said, ‘I can’t. I can’t let that happen.’” She reminded the students that God is constantly pursuing them, waiting for them to open the door to His love.
She encouraged students to prioritize their relationship with Christ: “You’ve got to open the door. He waits at the door. He knocks, but He will not invade. You have to let Him in.”
Video of Allick’s visit is available at www.facebook.com/AquinasNation.
