Staff Writer

Alexyss Panfile will graduate from Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, in spring 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Arts. She intends to pursue graduate studies in this field, also at Montclair State.

Initially, Alexyss hopes to write for a magazine or an organization that she cares about. She wants to use her knowledge to do good, writing stories that have impact and purpose — helping others or exposing the truth. She realizes that this may take her beyond journalism, and she’s okay with that.

At Montclair State, Alexyss serves as a writer on the school’s newspaper, The Montclarion. She’s also a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda National Leadership and Honor Organization.

An avid reader, Alexyss loves to visit Barnes & Noble in her free time. She also enjoys going to the gym, preferably late at night when it’s empty. When she feels like relaxing, she plays The Sims.

Her friends describe her as the person who brings attention to human rights issues.

Here’s what Alexyss said about participating in Writing Wrongs 2018:

I hope to accomplish my goal of telling other people’s stories and letting them feel heard. This is all about them – letting them have their moment in finally lifting the burden of these traumas, even if it’s just a little bit. I am passionate about [the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault], and I believe that survivors deserve to be heard rather than hushed away. My main issue with these topics is the taboo that surrounds survivors being able to talk about what they went through. People allow abusers to be heard and excused for what they’ve done as a ‘mistake,’ but continue to shame survivors for wanting to speak their truth.