Jon Gould, ’23, is ready to hit the ground running, eager to meet new classmates at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine — his teammates for the next four years. Survivor isn’t the right adjective for Jon, who beat Hodgkin’s lymphoma as a child, with his family and loyal Boxer-rescue dog, Biskit, steadfast at his side. Motivation and determination might better describe where he’s been and where he’s going.
Heart & Determination
In high school, Jon surprised his father and stepmom, Rob and Susan Gould, when he abruptly announced that he wanted to play football. Determined, he decided to become a punter — a new skillset he would have to master to compete for a team position. He had missed out on years of youth sports, so he set out on his own, watching YouTube videos and began practicing with friends and family right up until the day he made the team. Jon’s self-made athletic success in high school carried him forward to college. In the first week of his freshman year, he won a spot during team tryouts as a walk-on punter for the Florida Gators. But this was only the beginning of his dreams that would begin to take shape.
“Jon always enjoyed being part of a team; he favored the underdog and was the kid who always befriended someone who had challenges,” said Rob. “He also loved animals and would go to any length to find creatures, large and small, to bring home — including the snake he found at age 4 by searching around drainpipes.”
The Gift of Time
When Jon first started UF as an undergraduate, his interest was in kinesiology, the mechanics and anatomy of human movement in promoting health and reducing disease. Time had become a premium commodity in Jon’s life. It was something he learned to manage well —as if he wanted to make use of every minute of life he reclaimed from his victory over cancer. His time was invested in keeping his body strong, working out with long hours of practice each and every week throughout the four years he was on the team and planning time for studying.
It was during his sophomore year of college that he lost Biskit, who also had faced cancer in her later years. Deciding then that he wanted to do something more, Jon changed his major to animal science. He dedicated even more hours to his academic studies playing catch-up on prerequisite courses, however, earning passing grades was not enough. While keeping up with the rigorous football schedule, Jon organized his time from dawn to late nights. He earned top grades in his studies and volunteered at the UF Small Animal Hospital Oncology department in preparation for his next life goal: a veterinary degree from the UF College of Veterinary Medicine.
Though Jon doesn’t mention it, his family was rather stunned to learn that he was accepted by all four of the high-caliber veterinary schools to which he had applied — an unusual accomplishment for first-time veterinary school applicants.
“He loved all the schools he visited. They are all great schools, but at the end of the day, Jon knew he wanted to be a Gator all the way through,” Susan said.
Finding Passion and Purpose
Jon’s pet family soon grew with two rescued pit bull-mixed breed dogs. Duke had been abandoned at only 9 weeks old, and Dutchess at 2 years. With so many options available in the UF veterinary medical curriculum and practicums, Jon knows he will have difficulty choosing his direction. His heart is still in veterinary shelter medicine as well as emergency medicine and oncology.
Jon’s philanthropic beliefs were instilled in him by his family, who are passionate about animal rescue. They helped him choose several ways they could support animal rescue and health care on a smaller scale and make the most impact.
“When I played football, I had a platform on social media as a student athlete, which helped me to raise awareness through the establishment of a foundation, “Pawin’ it Forward,” to help animals in need,” Jon said.
With approvals through the UF Athletic Association’s rules and guidelines, Jon was able to establish and promote a special foundation fundraiser through UF Giving. The initiative supports UF’s Shelter Medicine Initiative, which uses funding to place skilled veterinary students in practicums at animal shelters in northeastern Florida. The students, under supervision of licensed veterinarians, apply their training to provide veterinary care for shelter animals with the goal to prepare as many healthy animals for adoption.
Pouring his heart into his work has been rewarding personally and academically for Jon. He was awarded the James W. Kynes Scholarship endowment for UF undergraduate student athletes who want to pursue graduate or professional degrees. Recipients are noted for high academic achievement, exceptional character, outstanding performance and leadership in NCAA-sponsored sports.
But most of all, Jon is excited to join his new team at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine while still playing ball – this time, with Duke and Dutchess.
