Mercy brings to our team over two decades of experience as an educator and a passion for empowering young people to help build a compassionate and sustainable future for all.

Read on to hear from Mercy about her journey to humane education.

My journey to Farm Sanctuary began in 2021, when I started volunteering at a local horse and farm animal rescue and decided to become vegan. Having been a strict vegetarian my whole life (only eating honey, butter, and eggs if they were in something), it wasn’t a huge change. But after looking into the eyes of those cows and chickens and getting to know their unique personalities, feelings, and emotions, I knew I needed to do more for them.

The founders of the local rescue often spoke about Gene Baur and Farm Sanctuary, sharing how inspiring they were. That’s when I started following Farm Sanctuary and Gene on social media and learning more about the mission.

By 2024, I was a huge fan of Farm Sanctuary and Gene Baur, and I knew I needed to visit! So, for our 14th wedding anniversary, my husband and I traveled to Watkins Glen for a visit. It was magical. The tour was unforgettable, so informative, and left us both wanting to do more!  I remember asking about educational resources because I wanted to bring a piece of that experience back to my second graders. When I returned, I told my colleagues all about the trip and even declared that working at Farm Sanctuary was my new dream job!

In the meantime, I began using Farm Sanctuary’s educational materials in my classroom and delved deeper into humane education. Then, for my birthday, my sweet husband surprised me with tickets to hear Gene Baur speak at Villanova. We left so inspired and even had the chance to meet him, speak with him, and get a photo!

By early 2025, I knew I wanted to make humane education my career. After 22 years in public education, I reached out to humane educators for advice. Everyone I spoke to was so generous with their time, but the one who made the biggest impact was Ardyn, my predecessor here at Farm Sanctuary. About a week after our meeting, she emailed me to say Farm Sanctuary was hiring. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Since starting in July 2025, my responsibilities have included leading a variety of educational projects, such as the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) and our webinars. For YLC, I’m focused on increasing student choice and voice in the curriculum while also bringing in real-world experts to enrich discussions and expand networking opportunities. With webinars, I’ve been adding my own teaching flair by incorporating interactive elements and creating teacher resources aligned with curriculum standards.

I’m also excited to be focusing on larger initiatives such as the Community Action Network (CAN) and Teachers Helping Teachers.

So far, my favorite part of my job is collaborating with colleagues who share a passion for Farm Sanctuary’s mission. Together, we create meaningful programs and resources that both educate and inspire. Through this collaboration, we are able to change hearts and minds about the realities of animal agriculture and the potential for a more just, compassionate, and sustainable food system. 

Knowing that our work can empower individuals to make choices that benefit people, animals, and the planet is incredibly rewarding.

I had the honor of visiting the sanctuary at Watkins Glen once, before I became an employee, and I instantly fell in love with so many of the animals who live there. Since joining the team, I recently visited again and had the opportunity to connect with so many animals whose stories I now get to tell through my work.  It’s honestly so hard to choose just one favorite. 

Since working at Farm Sanctuary, though, I’ve found myself especially drawn to George pig. I first learned his story while updating webinars, and when I discovered he was born the smallest of his litter, I immediately felt a connection. My dog Willy is a “runt,” too. Then I saw George’s photo, with those unforgettable ears, and I knew I was in trouble. Watching his baby zoomies video and hearing how much he loves belly rubs only sealed the deal. 

On my recent visit to Watkins Glen, I finally got to meet George in person! He came up to the gate when I was leaving, and I gave him one last scratch. I got to look into his eyes one more time. He is super sweet and so cute with those ears. He seems to like people, but sadly, due to his size, he is not as confident with other pigs. While I couldn’t get any photos of us together because some of George’s pig friends were demanding my attention, it was a very special moment to remember.