Fiona Ji-Hoo Kim ’22 spent most of her teenage years training to be an Olympic figure skater—going to South Korea every summer to train 12 hours a day. Then a torn Achilles tendon derailed her dream. “Around the time I was injured, I was sexually assaulted,” shares Kim, an international criminal justice major. “The assault became one of the driving forces that solidified my stance of working in the criminal justice system and becoming a lawyer. I was determined to get into John Jay. I knew that at the College I could gain the skills to become a fierce advocate for sexual assault victims.”
Becoming an Advocate
“Being able to major in international criminal justice and getting to learn more about gender issues and advocacy was so important to me,” says Kim. “So many of the courses taught me about the field of justice, legal systems, and how laws impact different groups of people. Being able to learn how men and women across different nations are seen in different legal systems, and the different obstacles they encounter, had such a profound impact on me and led to my capstone project on digital sex crimes in South Korea.”
Internship with State Supreme Court and Law School
Through the College’s Pre-Law Institute Kim was able to prep for her future, learn more about what it takes to get into law school, explore different legal career paths, and secure experiential learning opportunities, such as a judicial internship with the Honorable Justice Carmen Velasquez ’84. “Interning for the Honorable Justice Velasquez last fall was such a unique and powerful experience. It brought me a step closer to the professional world I want to be in,” says Kim. “I was able to see lawyers engage with one another, see justice in action, and ask questions—it was such a surreal moment, I felt starstruck. It showed me that’s where I want to be. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
As graduation nears, Kim’s excited for her future. “After graduating from Brooklyn Law School, I want my career to focus on helping and empowering victims of sex crimes and gender-based violence,” says Kim. “I know that with the knowledge I’ve gained at John Jay, both inside and outside the classroom, I’ll be a powerful voice in the legal field, an ally to different communities, and an effective advocate for those in need.”
