Andrea Kim ’29 Honored by the Brain Injury Association of New York State for Advocacy Work

 Andrea Kim ’29, middle, is joined by family and friends as the Brain Injury Association of New York State presented her with the Barry Dain Champion of Hope Award on Nov. 13.  

Andrea Kim ’29, who enrolled at Brooklyn Law School to become a lawyer who could advocate on behalf of patients who face barriers in the U.S. healthcare system, received the Barry Dain Champion of Hope Award from the Brain Injury Association of New York State at the organization’s Journey of Hope Gala Thursday night.  

The award recognizes noteworthy individuals who have shown incredible dedication and leadership in supporting people who have brain injuries. Kim was selected as a passionate advocate for brain injury survivors and caregivers, a role she took on after being a caregiver herself to her late father following his traumatic brain injury. She has continued to devote herself to advancing Medicare reform and championing the needs of the brain injury community.  

“This award means the world to me because it comes from the Brain Injury Association of New York, the nonprofit that supported me when my father suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2023,” Kim said. “Navigating the process to secure the medical care he needed and what he was legally entitled to was a grueling, full-time job that I wasn’t prepared for, and I wouldn't have made it through without the support of this organization.” 

Prior to attending Brooklyn Law as a part-time student, Kim spent more than a decade building tech products, but her dad’s health struggles set her on a new path toward legal studies and the desire to bring about healthcare reform.  

“My experience caring for my father and ultimately losing him in 2024 to our country's broken healthcare system inspired me to leave my product management role at Amazon and to study law so I can advocate for patients like my father,” Kim said. “It feels deeply meaningful that the Brain Injury Association of New York is recognizing the work I've done to support the organization, particularly as I develop a tech product aimed at helping Medicare beneficiaries who face the same barriers my family encountered.”  

Kim plans to focus her studies on Elder Law, Medicare, and Medicaid.