Jina Ji Youn Kim

Jina Ji Youn Kim, 27, was a loving daughter, sister, niece and friend to many. She carried an intense passion for social justice, mental health, and helping those in need despite struggling with her own mental and physical health for the past few years. She cared deeply for the well being of the people around her.

She was born in Seoul, South Korea on March 31, 1993. Since she was a child, she was a curious, focused and ambitious individual. She never settled for what was, but looked to see how things can be improved. She always excelled in school and social settings, surrounded by friends and teachers alike. She spent much of her energy motivating, encouraging and accepting others to be their own unique selves.

Jina immigrated to Canada with her family in 2001. Despite having moved to a new country, she quickly overcame linguistic and cultural differences at a young age. Soon, she was a star student in the schools she attended, actively involving herself in both community and extra curricular activities. She was the student president at Glenview Sr. Public School, a member of the debate team at Havergal College while holding various roles in the student body there as well. She attended the Arts and Science program at McMaster University where she planned to further her studies in law to fight social injustice. Along with her academic achievements, JiNa surrounded herself with the Arts. She loved music, dance, theatre, contemporary art, fashion, food, coffee; she was fascinated by technology and spent her days learning and admiring the people in these fields. For the past year, Jina immersed herself in exploring various bodily movements as an art form which brought her a lot of joy and creative relief.

With the many great accomplishments Jina was able to achieve, she also dealt with major challenges of her own including bulimia, bipolar disorder and alcoholism. Despite all this, she tackled her challenges in a classic Jina-esque style. She was strong and hopeful. She tried hard to live her best, to follow through with her passions.

JiNa was a special person to many of us. She will be eternally missed, never forgotten, and continually loved.