Renee Douglas, Student Writer
Women’s History Month is the perfect time to recognize and celebrate the incredible women who are making waves in their communities. One of those women who constantly inspires me is my mentor, Akiva’ Rooks. Born and raised in Baltimore, Akiva’ is a first-generation college student who followed her faith and pursued a degree in Public Relations at North Carolina A&T State University, where she graduated in 2019. Now, she’s balancing her corporate career as an Executive Assistant Project Coordinator and working toward her master’s in IT: Project Management from the University of Maryland. But beyond her corporate hustle, she’s the creator of I’ll Keep Her, a self-care brand that’s helping women rediscover what true self-love is all about.
Akiva’ Rooks: A Woman of Faith, Growth, and Purpose
In August of 2018, Akiva’ founded I’ll Keep Her during her junior year at A&T. This anniversary is extra special for her, not just because her brand turns another year older, but because she’s turning 28 this year as well, and the brand was birthed on the 28th of August. She sees it as a beautiful full-circle moment, one where she can reflect on how much she’s grown as both a person and an entrepreneur, all thanks to God’s guidance and the growth of her brand. Akiva’ shares, “It’s almost like I’ll have a chance to truly highlight the woman that I’ve blossomed into from God’s guidance coupled with the nourishment of my brand.”
At first, she didn’t realize she was building something big; she just knew she had something important to say. Writing has always been a huge part of her life, but when she got to college, she noticed something that deeply moved her: the women around her were struggling in different ways. Some were using unhealthy coping mechanisms like sex to deal with their emotions, while others were simply lost and unsure of how to navigate life. Akiva’ realized that she wanted to get closer to God and tune out the distractions of the world. That’s when she dove even deeper into writing, pouring her thoughts and reflections onto paper. Her friends would read her words and beg her to send more. That encouragement led her to start a blog, which eventually blossomed into I’ll Keep Her, a self-care brand that supports women in their journeys of personal growth.
I’ll Keep Her: A Self-Care Brand Rooted in Healing
For Akiva’, self-care isn’t just about looking good, it’s about feeling good on the inside too. She believes that taking care of yourself is so much more than skin-deep; it’s about finding alignment between your body, mind, and soul. As she says, “Navigating through the complexities of life, it’s never just about your physical. You have to devote time to feed your soul.” The road to self-love isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most important journeys we can take. Through I’ll Keep Her, she’s able to help Gen Z and millennial women learn to love themselves inside and out. It’s about so much more than just a physical makeover, it’s about nourishing your spirit.
For Akiva’, honoring women isn’t just a one-month affair; it’s a year-round commitment. But during Women’s History Month, she goes all out to show love to herself and to the incredible women around her. She regularly hosts events through I’ll Keep Her, where she creates a space to highlight the power and beauty of womanhood. As she explains, “I strive to highlight the aspects of womanhood that are often overlooked, whether it’s the light we bring to the world or the beauty of our femininity.” Whether it’s acknowledging the light we bring into the world or celebrating the beauty of femininity, Akiva’ is dedicated to giving women the recognition they deserve.
She often talks about the importance of self-love, and her words always resonate with me: “Self-love is sexier than it feels.” To her, self-love isn’t about conforming to society’s idea of what it should look like; it’s about taking the time to reflect and ask yourself, What’s going on with me? How can I take better care of myself? How can I honor myself more? Akiva’ encourages women to block out the noise and trust their own process. “Self-love looks different in every season, so don’t feel pressured to fit into the world’s definition of it. You can be all different versions of women. You don’t have to just be one woman. You can be dimensional,” she says. She believes that there’s no single way to be a woman or to love yourself, what matters is embracing your full, dimensional self, with all your layers and complexities.
What’s Next for I’ll Keep Her? Big Plans for the Future
Akiva’ is just getting started. She has big plans for I’ll Keep Her, plans that will directly benefit women in practical ways. One of her goals is to offer scholarships, both merit-based and non-merit-based, to help ease the financial burden many women face. She says, “I want to do more scholarships both merit and non-merit-based to help lift the financial burden for women.” She’s also working on providing “girl maintenance” services, where women can get their hair or nails done or even enjoy a relaxing spa day. As she shares, “I want to provide ‘girl maintenance’, helping women get their hair or nails done or even giving them a spa day.”
In addition, Akiva’ is expanding her brand’s merch line, focusing on pieces that carry strong affirmations for women. She’s excited to drop a new collection of hoodies for her birthday this year and is already thinking about what’s next. “I’m expanding my brand with more merch, especially affirmative merch,” she says. “I have something big coming that I’m not announcing just yet, but for now, I’m excited to release a spectrum of hoodie colors on my birthday!”
She dreams of hosting more events in different cities, one for every season. She wants to create a space for women that goes beyond a specific brand image or persona, it’s a space where every woman can feel seen and heard. “I want to host more events, ideally one in every city for every season, if possible,” she says. And beyond that, she’s passionate about speaking at high schools and colleges, using her platform to connect with young women and inspire them to love themselves fully. “I want more speaking engagements, especially in high schools and colleges, to inspire and connect with young women.”
Akiva’ is shaping a legacy with I’ll Keep Her, and I can’t wait to see where it goes. It’s about more than just business, it’s about creating a space for women to heal, to grow, and to live fully in their power.
As her mentee, I’ve had the honor of watching Akiva’ balance her passions and purpose. Through her mentorship has taught me so much about embracing my own journey and how important it is to honor and uplift others, particularly as women. Akiva’ shows me that self-love isn’t just a concept, it’s a lifestyle, and it’s something that we should all be striving for.To connect with Akiva’ and I’ll Keep Her, you can follow her on Instagram at @rebellefleeur or @illkeepherinc, or visit her website at https://akivakikh.wixsite.com/illkeepher. If you’re a woman who’s looking for inspiration, self-care guidance, or simply a reminder to love yourself more, this is the place to be.