Six days after graduating from UF in 2012, Mercedes Young escaped the Swamp and headed to Los Angeles.
Now the former Gator will appear as a contestant in the upcoming reality TV show, “Match Made in Heaven,” premiering Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. on WE tv, a channel owned by AMC Networks.
The show is about 24 women vying for the love and affection of a male millionaire.
“It’s kind of like ‘The Bachelor,’ but it’s the first time any African-American male has been a bachelor,” Young, 23, said.
Originally from South Florida, Young graduated from UF with a telecommunication degree and theatre minor.
During her senior year, she filmed and starred in her first movie, “2 Headed Shark Attack,” where she worked with high-profile celebrities like Carmen Electra and Brooke Hogan.
Young also had lead roles in “Tosh.0,” “Deadly Sins,” “Cry Wolfe” and “Outrageous 911,” as well as minor roles in about a dozen other projects.
When she’s not on set, she’s working on her business — WeShair.com — a website that compiles a list of barbers and hairstylists based off location and highlights ratings, reviews and pictures.
“It’s the social media for all things hair,” she said.
She said she was inspired by her grandmother, who owned a hair salon before passing away from breast cancer. She hopes to donate wigs to cancer patients in the future.
For now, Young spends most of her time working in Hollywood. She said she owes her current success in the tough industry to perseverance.
“One out of three people succeed in Hollywood, and it’s not because that person was more talented, but because the other two gave up,” she said.
Damario Major, a 2012 UF theatre alumnus and friend of Young’s, said he believes she gives students a sense of optimism.
“Seeing her success gives me hope,” said Major, 22, “and it shows that it is possible to attain with hard work and dedication to your craft.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/28/2015 under the headline “UF alumna to appear on WE tv’s ‘Match Made in Heaven’"]
