Alyssa grew up in New York state and is now a rising senior at Brandeis University, majoring in Russian Studies and International Studies and minoring in History. She is interested in learning about countries all around the world, but is especially focused on Russia, along with other former Soviet states, with a particular interest in LGBTQ issues in these countries. She joined ACE because she wants to help make it easier for people to learn about important topics that they might otherwise ignore. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, and hiking.