Donson Jeryco Allen Cook Gallardo is a real Renaissance man.
The Moscow High School graduate, who was known to his classmates as Jack Cook, is a classical pianist, all-star track athlete with goals of competing in the 2020 Olympics for Panama and a recent bachelor’s recipient in biology. He will depart Sunday for Miami, where he will attend medical school.
If all that’s not enough, he credits his grandmother in Panama as his source of inspiration.
Craig Clohessy: You just graduated from Carleton College in Minnesota and you soon will attend medical school. What made you decide to go into the field of medicine?
Donson Cook Gallardo: … I was born in Panama City and moved to Moscow at about the age of 10. Growing up there is (what) initially instilled in me a desire to help other people. … I didn’t personally experience poverty, but I witnessed poverty. Panama is a Third World country, so you see things you don’t normally see in your day-to-day experience in the U.S. I’ve always been sort of empathetic in that sense to the poverty that people experience. I continued developing that interest throughout high school by volunteering at Gritman Medical Center in Moscow and then also volunteering at the Good Samaritan Society. But it really wasn’t until I spent one of my six-week winter breaks (from Carleton) … in Panama City and worked with my cousin who is an obstetrician gynecologist (at) the largest social security hospital in Panama City. I really got firsthand exposure to what it was like being a doctor, especially in a Third World country … where often money and basic resources are hard to find. I was exposed to a lot of impoverished patients and saw a lot of things that really moved me fundamentally. That experience basically confirmed my desire to go into medicine. …
CC: When you complete medical school and your residency do you plan to practice medicine in Panama?
DCG: I don’t see myself practicing medicine in Panama, at least not for a while. What I do see myself doing is working with public health initiatives in Panama as part of my career. … Part of the reason why I wouldn’t practice medicine in Panama, at least initially, is simply due to the fact that medical school in the U.S. is very expensive. I was able to get a half-tuition scholarship to Miami. The wages earned by an American physician are considerably higher than that of a Panamanian physician, and that’s partially because attending medical school in the U.S. is a pretty major investment. … So, probably I’ll be in the U.S. trying to pay off my debt as quickly as possible. Possibly Miami. I’m not entirely sure where. And then later on, once I’ve sort of established myself in the U.S., I could see myself practicing in both places. …
CC: You’re a strong athlete – seven-time All-American in cross country and track and field. Do you plan to continue on that course?
DCG: I ran track and field and cross country for Carleton for four years in NCAA Division III, and I was fortunate to have success. … As I mentioned before, I was born in Panama City, so I’m a dual citizen with Panama and the U.S. … I’ve been in contact with the Panamanian Olympic Committee about running for the Panamanian team. I’m officially on the roster now. So I do have plans to continue racing with Panama, possibly as early as this summer. … In two years is the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, so it’s my hope that if I’m fortunate to continue improving and having success, I’ll be able to qualify to represent the Panamanian national team.
CC: Your Panamanian roots are important to you. You’ve even recently changed your name to reflect that.
DCG: Legally speaking, I didn’t really change my name, I just sort of changed the way I have people refer to me. My full name is Donson Jeryco Allen Cook Gallardo. So when I moved to the U.S., I started going by Jerry, a variation of one of my middle names, Jeryco. … Initially, I didn’t really think anything special or different about my multicultural upbringing. I guess in (northern) Idaho, there aren’t too many Hispanics. I always sort of felt a little bit different in that sense. … It wasn’t until I started my trips visiting Panama again, five years ago on a yearly basis, that I started to strengthen my connection to my Panamanian roots. I decided to make a semantic change in the way people refer to me. In high school, everybody knew me as Jerry. That was simply a matter of convenience. People knew my name was Donson, so it’s not like I’m just dropping this bomb in some sense. And my last name, I was previously just known as Cook. I realized the importance of continuing the legacy of my mother’s maiden name and my father’s name and really cherishing my multicultural identity and my Hispanic roots. …
CC: Anything else you’d like to add?
DCG: I’d like to say that I’m really happy with all the success I’ve had in track and field and in achieving my professional aspirations. I really don’t think I’d be able to accomplish this without the support of my parents, but especially my grandmother who lives in Panama City. She’s been a source of inspiration to me in her strength, being a single (and) married woman in Panama living through a dictatorship. I really fall back on her strength, and I just want to give her a special thanks.
When Donson Cook-Gallardo (Moscow, Idaho/Moscow) crossed the finish line for the 800-meter run at the NCAA Championships, it brought the curtain down on one of the most impressive athletic careers in Carleton College history. The senior finished second in the race, earning his seventh career All-America award and the sixth in track and field.
Cook-Gallardo posted a time of 1:50.23, his fastest of the 2018 season and the third fastest of his career. This was the second consecutive year that he was the national runner-up at this distance. A year ago he missed out on the title by 0.01 second.
Cook-Gallardo grabbed the lead from the start and paced the pack for the first lap and a half of the race.
Ramapao College senior Jeremy Hernandez—who broke the D-III record in the indoor mile earlier this year—made a push with 200 meters remaining in Saturday’s race, but Cook-Gallardo answered that challenge.
Andrew Sharp of Greenville College was next to made a move and moved to the outside to race side-by-side with Cook-Gallardo down the home stretch. Sharp, who owned the nation’s top time during the season, inched in front with only 20 meters remaining and held on for the victory.
“I came into today thinking I was going to make it a race regardless of how I finish,” said Cook-Gallardo. “I can’t be too upset about seven All-American awards. I’m grateful that I could compete and leave it all out on the track.”
Cook-Gallardo earned All-America status at three NCAA Championships during the 2017-18 academic year. In addition to Saturday’s result, he placed 15th at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country Championships and took third in the mile run at the 2018 national indoor meet. His seven All-America awards are tied for second in Carleton men’s cross country/track and field history (SEE CHARTS BELOW).
Cook-Gallardo will return to the Carleton campus and graduate on June 9 after majoring in biology. Less than two weeks later he moves to Florida to start medical school at the University of Miami.
“Donson wanted to go to Miami so he could make an impact in the Hispanic community,” explained Carleton head coach Dave Ricks.
“He’s got a great sense of humor and has been so easy to coach. It has been a fun four years. Maybe if I coach until I’m 135, then I might see another runner like Donson Cook-Gallardo come through our program.”
MOST ALL-AMERICA AWARDS IN CARLETON COLLEGE MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD HISTORY
9 — Dan Casper (1986-89)
6 — Mac Test (1987-88)
6 — Donson Cook-Gallardo (2015-18)
6 — Mac Test (1987-88)
4 — Gerard Cote (1991-92)
4 — Jeff Scherer (1991-92)
4 — Paul Blomgren (1991-92)
4 — Dan Virnig (1994-96)
3 — Dale Kramer (1976-78)
3 — Rick Bollin (1984-86)
3 — Jeff Brown (1986-88)
3 — Tom Ballinger (2007-09)
3 — Hart Hornor (2015-16)
MOST COMBINED ALL-AMERICA AWARDS IN CARLETON COLLEGE MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY AND FIELD HISTORY
9 — Dan Casper (1986-89)
7 — Dale Kramer (1974-78)
7 — Donson Cook-Gallardo (2014-18)
6 — Mac Test (1987-88)
6 — Mac Test (1987-88)
5 — Hart Hornor (2014-16)
4 — Gerard Cote (1991-92)
4 — Jeff Scherer (1991-92)
4 — Paul Blomgren (1991-92)
4 — Dan Virnig (1994-96)
DONSON COOK-GALLARDO ALL-AMERICA AWARDS
Cross Country
2017 — 8000 meters (15th place)
Indoor Track and Field
2016 — 800-meter run (4th place)
2017 — mile run (3rd place)
2018 — mile run (3rd place)
Outdoor Track and Field
2017 — 800-meter run (2nd place)
2017 — 1500-meter run (2nd place)
2018 — 800-meter run (2nd place)