The Akeeva Legacy: A Scholarship That Carries Hope Forward
At the 600th class celebration of Mondays at the Mission in 2026, we awarded the very first Akeeva Legacy Scholarship, a $2,000 scholarship presented to Leah, a courageous 21-year-old who had driven alone from Kansas to Los Angeles in search of a new beginning.
The scholarship was generously made possible by the Love Button Global Movement.
The scholarship honors the memory of Akeeva Rockwell, a remarkable young boy remembered for his extraordinary compassion, his belief in kindness, and his instinct to help others.
Akeeva was born into unimaginable hardship. He spent his earliest years in a convalescent home in Georgetown, Guyana, where 35 children lived. The conditions were poor, and the children were not well cared for.
Dream Rockwell, the artist and visionary and a longtime friend and supporter of Mondays at the Mission, met Akeeva on his second birthday. He was sickly and had been receiving heavy doses of antibiotics. But something about this little boy immediately captured Dream’s heart. She knew almost instantly that he was meant to be her son.
The adoption process would take two and a half years. During that time, Dream rented an apartment in Guyana so she could remain close to Akeeva while she worked to bring him home.
And then Akeeva’s life began to unfold in a completely different way.
He traveled the world. He followed his joy. He discovered new places, met new people, and filled his days with adventure. The little boy who had begun life in such difficult circumstances was given the freedom to become exactly who he was meant to be.
That was the life Akeeva lived. And that spirit of joy, curiosity, adventure, and compassion is the legacy he left behind.
Even as a child, Akeeva had an instinct to help others. On his ninth birthday, he received some birthday money. Later, while walking down the street, a man asked him if he had any food. Akeeva opened his wallet and gave the man every dollar he had.
When his mother told him how generous he had been, Akeeva simply replied:
“He needed the money so much more than me.”
That was Akeeva.
He believed in kindness. He believed words were powerful. He believed people should believe in their own good luck. And whenever someone was thinking negatively or falling into a bad habit, he would smile and say:
“Turn that around.”
Simple. Hopeful. Possible.
Akeeva tragically passed away at only eleven years old, but the kindness he carried into the world continues to ripple outward through the people who knew him and the lives touched by his story.
"It is a great honor to know that Akeeva's legacy lives on in the strength and thoughtfulness of the beautiful young adults at Mondays at the Mission. Akeeva believed in kindness. He encouraged people to love themselves. And encouraged us to focus on the things in life and about ourselves that produced good energy and good feelings. He always strived to be his very best under all circumstances. It brings great joy to know his legacy lives on in you."
-Dream Rockwell, Akeeva's mommy
Leah: The First Akeeva Legacy Award Recipient
At just 20 years old, Leah drove alone from Kansas to Los Angeles with no one waiting for her on the other side. She knew no one in the city. She had no safety net. She simply came with a hope for something different and the determination to build a new life for herself.
When she first arrived in Los Angeles, she lived in her car. Eventually, her car was stolen, leaving her with nowhere to go. That is how Leah found her way to the Union Rescue Mission.
But she kept going.
Today, Leah works at a bakery and volunteers at the Union Rescue Mission, and with encouragement from Mondays at the Mission, she has enrolled at Santa Monica College, where she is pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse.
The first Akeeva Legacy Scholarship was presented to Leah in recognition of her courage, perseverance, faith, and determination to keep moving forward.
And perhaps most importantly, we wanted Leah to know that she does not have to walk forward alone.
The message from the Mondays at the Mission community was simple:
She is seen.
She is believed in.
She is not alone.
Video Above: Leah receiving the scholarship on July 13th, 2026
The Second Akeeva Legacy Scholarship Recipient: Maria's Story
Maria lives at Union Rescue Mission with her sister, Anna, and their mother, Alicia. Their family has known profound loss. Maria and Anna’s father passed away while Alicia was pregnant with her second daughter.
Originally from Argentina, Alicia has lived in the United States for more than 25 years. She has worked hard to care for her daughters and build a life for their family. So when Maria was awarded the Akeeva Legacy Scholarship, it was a profound moment of hope.
There is something deeply moving about watching a mother who has been carrying so much see her daughter receive an opportunity to move forward. The look in Alicia’s eyes said everything.
Earlier this year, Maria had a moment she will never forget. In May 2026, she was invited to be one of the stars of a rooftop musical concert with the Electric Moon Foundation, where she had the opportunity to perform in front of an audience and let her creativity take center stage.
We are so happy to be able to support Maria as she begins this next chapter of her life.
We wish her a beautiful college experience and cannot wait to see where her creativity, love of learning, passion for different cultures, writing, storytelling, and singing take her.
Akeeva believed in kindness. He believed in good energy. He believed in turning things around.
And now, his spirit is helping another young person move forward.
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