Mercado has been one of the groundbreakers for New Haven Promise, first as a member of the first cohort to receive the scholarship benefits and now as one of the first 13 Promise Ambassadors, which is intended, among other things, to help new students transition to college and find a balance between academics and social responsibilities.

Mercado had specifically talked about the latter in a 2012 speech to about 400 people at the annual meeting of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. She described growing up in a single parent household and needing to find a job at the age of 16 to help support her family. Now a senior at Southern Connecticut State University, Mercado struggled at first, but has been on a trajectory of success ever since. Despite continuously working, she has also been committed to aid those who have followed her as a Promise Scholar.

The Public Health major plans to settle in New Haven and is already interested in becoming a homebuyer.