Annie Song ’28 was a devoted friend, had a passion for serving others and brought joy wherever she went. She was exceptionally empathetic and easy to confide in, and was known among friends for her boisterous laugh.
Song — a sophomore from Seattle studying public health and international and public affairs — passed away in February.
“I think one of the first things that you learn about her is how much she loves to laugh and share joy with others,” said Tane Kim ’28, who was Song’s boyfriend. “You could hear her laughter echo down the building before you saw her.”
“She was the happiest person I’ve known,” he added.
Kiara Anderson ’27, who served on the executive board for the Infectious Disease Society Magazine alongside Song, also recalled Song’s laugh and caring nature as a friend.
“Even though it’s been a while since I’ve heard her voice, I’ll never forget her laughter,” Anderson wrote. “She had these hilariously over-the-top reactions to everything I’d say, good or bad.”
In March, the Korean American Student Association, the IDS and close friends of Song’s coordinated an event in remembrance and celebration of her life.
Song was a dedicated friend who would always go out of her way to support those she loved.
Kim recalled how one night, while he was studying for a midterm, he texted Song and mentioned that he was feeling tired. Soon after, she surprised him with a matcha drink, despite having to walk from her dorm on north campus to a shop downtown on the other side of the Providence River in the pouring rain to do so.
“She didn’t tell me that she was gonna do it, she just showed up to the SciLi basement, absolutely soaked,” he said. “That’s one of my fondest memories of her.”
Jason Kim, Song’s cousin, especially admired the way Song “maximized every minute of her life,” making the time to “invest in her friendships” despite her many academic and extracurricular commitments, he wrote in an email to The Herald.
Song was a program development intern at Women’s Refugee Care, a Meiklejohn Peer Advisor and was a residential assistant for Brown’s Pre-College program, according to a University email sent after her passing.
Even after time and distance led to less frequent communication between them, Song “was always the first to reach out,” Jason Kim wrote. “It speaks to her character that she always prioritized relationships with the people she loved.”
Song’s mother, Jinhi Choi, believes that Song “naturally helped connect people.” Song’s friendships were “not casual to her; they were something she nurtured with time, attention and love,” Choi wrote in an email to The Herald.
Song’s considerate personality extended far beyond her personal life. According to family members, Brown’s campus was a space where Song was able to pursue her interests in public service.
“It seemed like a place where she felt empowered to form her identity and be inspired to explore the ways she could impact the world,” Jason Kim wrote.
“She just wanted to leave the world with an impact,” Jabin Lee ’28, a friend of Song, recalled.
During Song’s childhood, she and Choi often discussed how to live a purposeful life “not defined by what we have, but by how we use what we are given to care for others,” Choi wrote.
“Looking back now, I realize that Annie quietly held these conversations in her heart and, in her own way, she was already living out those values — with sincerity, humility and a genuine love for people,” Choi wrote.
Song always showed her friends how much she loved them, and her love language was “definitely words of affirmation,” Reia Lee ’28, a friend of Song, wrote in an email to The Herald.
“I could tell by the way she spoke that she had so much love in her heart and was entirely unafraid to show that love to the people around her,” Anderson wrote.
To Reia Lee, Song was simultaneously “a wise older sister and a wild younger sister,” providing “the best advice,” while laughing and cracking “the most brainrotted jokes” during their moments together.
“Annie taught me that I should never hesitate in expressing love and appreciation, and I hope she is remembered for that,” Reia Lee added.
Before coming to Brown, Song was active in many service-oriented organizations in high school. She participated in student government, co-founded a youth ambassadors program through the National Alliance on Mental Illness and testified in support of legislation regarding student mental health.
“She was not only curious about the world, but also deeply motivated by a desire to understand people and to contribute, in her own thoughtful way, to their wellbeing,” Choi wrote. “Even before college, she was already walking gently but clearly toward a life of service, learning and care for others.”
On campus, Song was the communications chair for the IDS Magazine and KASA.
Yejin Song ’26 first met Annie Song at a social event for KASA that matched older students with younger peers. “Annie was one of the last people I met at that event, and it was literally like love at first sight,” she said.
“She’s just this ball of light,” Yejin Song said. “If you had an interaction with Annie in any single day, your mood will instantly be brighter.”
Yejin Song recalled an instance where, while messaging back and forth, Annie Song sent Yejin Song “10 voice memo clips in a row of her laughing, just like cackling, and it was like, insane, squealing laughter.”
Annie Song was also very passionate about music and played the violin. She served as concertmaster in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and was selected as a member of the National Youth Orchestra in high school.
At Brown, she was interested in chamber music and eagerly shared her passion with her friends, sending them song recommendations and attending concerts together.
Yejin Song said that one of her and Annie Song’s “bucket list” items was to play together in a quartet before Yejin Song graduated.
“We were so excited to play together this semester, and over break, she was listening to so many different quartet repertoire to try to find a good one,” Yejin Song recalled. “She sent me like three in the span of one hour and was so enthusiastic about the different choices and playing together.”
Annie Song shared her love and appreciation for music with her mother, who worked as a music therapist. In September, Annie Song gifted her mother two tickets for pianist Yunchan Lim’s performance at the Boston Symphony Orchestra in March for her mother’s birthday, knowing that her mother particularly admired the musician.
“It was a gift not only of music, but of time together — something she had carefully prepared with love and intention,” Choi recalled. “That concert still took place, but I was not able to go with her as we had planned. Even now, it is difficult for me to fully put into words the sadness of that moment. And yet, what remains even more powerful than the sadness is the overwhelming sense of gratitude I feel for her heart.”
Annie Song wore her feelings openly, something Andrea Yiu ’28 found comfort in.
On one instance, Annie Song, who loved making flower bouquets for friends, walked around campus picking blossoms with Yiu. The two ended up lying on the Quiet Green, reflecting on relationship experiences and ultimately shedding a few tears. Yiu recalled how Song was the kind of friend she always felt comfortable crying in front of.
“Annie was a very sentimental and empathetic person, probably the most of that combination I’ve ever met,” Yiu said. “I think it’s very rare to meet someone who is that ambitious, who also makes that much time for their friends and still keeps in touch with their inner child, and still maintains that level of authenticity.”
Choi wrote that Song lived her life with grace and faith.
“As her mother, what remains with me most is not only what she did during her time at Brown, but how she lived,” Choi wrote. “She lived with a sincere love for people, with gratitude in the ordinary and with a heart that sought to build community.”
“She was deeply loved, and she also deeply loved others,” Choi added. “Her life, though far too short, was filled with sincerity, care and a quiet commitment to the people around her.”
Samah Hamid is a university news editor covering faculty and career & alumni. She is from Sharon, Massachusetts and plans to concentrate in Biology. In her free time, you can find her taking a nap, reading, or baking a sweet treat.
