Susie Coston, a 1982 graduate of Buckhannon-Upshur High School and 1987 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College, was featured in the December issue of The Oprah Magazine. The Wesleyan alumna was highlighted in “The Beauty of Giving,” an article dedicated to women who care for others.

Coston is the National Shelter Director of Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY. The issue featured five New York State women who spend nearly all their waking hours caring for others. Each woman was made the center of attention by receiving a hair, makeup, and fashion style makeover for one unforgettable day. 

 

The daughter of WVWC professors Dr. Phyllis and Herb Coston, she earned a degree in fashion merchandising at Wesleyan in 1987.   After earning a master’s degree in Learning Disabilities from West Virginia University, she taught at Charlestown Junior High School. As a result of her work with the Humane Society, she began working at a sanctuary in Charlestown, WV. Her passion has led Coston to work at the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen for 15 years.

 

Coston has been rehabilitating neglected and abused farm animals including cows, pigs, and chickens in New York and California. According to the article, “These types of animals aren’t as well protected as cats and dogs, and all the ones we rescue have been abused,” said Coston, who doesn’t mind her 13- to 16- hour days. When you take animals that are in terrible shape and see them become happy and part of a herd—that’s the most fulfilling thing.”

 

Coston’s reaction to the makeover was “the amount of time it takes to get this looks is shocking! It was fun to learn how to pose in front of the camera. It is the polar opposite of my regular life.”

 

To learn more about Coston’s work rescuing farm animals, visit www.farmsanctuary.org.