When Luis Mercado walks across the Schottenstein Center stage to get his diploma this December, it will be the final steps in a journey he worried he might never finish.
Mercado came to The Ohio State University as a first-year student in 2018, drawn by the support and opportunities provided by the Young Scholars Program (YSP), which he joined as a sixth grader growing up in South Lorain. That support took on a whole new meaning three years later, however, when Mercado received life-changing news: cancer.
“I got diagnosed in March of 2021,” recalled the studio art major who also has a specialization in art and technology. “It's called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which the doctors told me grows in the torso and up, but mine originated in my left knee.”
Mercado experienced severe pain in his left leg, which he had initially believed to be caused by a torn ACL, and developed a limp, eventually requiring crutches. He spent the remainder of the year undergoing treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
With the help of resources within the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Mercado was able to take time off from school to focus on his recovery and eventually return to Ohio State more than a year later with his academic record and scholarships intact.
“I talked with Student Life Disability Services. I talked with YSP and ODI. Ricardo [Zamaripa] really helped out a lot,” Mercado noted. “If it wasn't for ODI and YSP, I wouldn't be here.”
Mercado is especially grateful for former YSP Program Coordinator Natasha Diaz, Scholarship Services Program Manager Ricardo Zamaripa, and former Hale Center Director Larry Williamson, who he says were particularly instrumental in ensuring his success at Ohio State.
Around Thanksgiving of 2021, Mercado went into remission, and he has been cancer-free since. The following August, Mercado returned to Columbus with a new passion for art and a desire to educate and relate to others through his work.
“I just love making art for people. I love making people smile. I love making people laugh. I like making people at least relate to my work,” Mercado explained. “I want it to be empathetic and relatable and have an impact.”
Mercado's most recent composition, a virtual reality project entitled “The Cancer Experience,” seeks to do just that, using digital artwork, animation, and narration to convey Mercado's journey through his diagnosis and treatment. The piece is currently on exhibition at the Urban Arts Space in downtown Columbus.
With brothers and nephews working in cosmetology, graphic design, and drawing, Mercado is proud to follow in his family's footsteps through his art. His future plans remain open to whatever opportunities may come his way, although he would like to take some time to simply appreciate his life and the people around him.
“I've been in school all my life so far. I've been through cancer. I've been through it all,” Mercado said. “I think I'm going to take a couple of months break off from school and just relax a bit.”