Donovan Jacko
Donovan Jacko leads both on and off the rugby pitch.
Celebrated for leading Georgian’s varsity rugby team to multiple titles as captain, Donovan has been honoured three times with the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) all-star award.
Donovan came to Georgian after completing his Bachelor of Human Kinetics at the University of Windsor.
“I decided to return to school to get a more hands-on approach to the world of sport and the management behind it,” says Donovan. “It interests me to know and understand the procedures behind an organization and all of the facets that allow an organization to thrive.”
The Sport Administration program caught Donovan’s attention. He quickly became a fixture at Georgian, racking up numerous awards for his academic prowess as well as his talent and leadership with the rugby team.
Here are some of Donovan’s accomplishments:
- Captain of Georgian’s rugby team
- Athletics Award Fund – 2019
- OCAA All-Academic Award – 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
- OCAA All-Stars Award – 2019, 2020 and 2021
- Donovan was also recognized with the Howard/Belcourt Award for Outstanding Sportsmanship, Dedication, Commitment, Attitude and Leadership
Recently, Donovan deepened his career playbook by completing Georgian’s Acupuncture program (class of 2022).
“Having played sports all my life, I’ve seen all sorts of treatments for all sorts of injuries,” shares Donovan. “Acupuncture really helps people. I saw the benefit of it in my teammates, friends and families. I wanted to be a part of the team that helps people realize their full potential, as well as gets them back in the game and feeling like themselves.”
Outside of academia, Donovan has been involved on the coaching side of rugby, drawing on his experiences across Ontario. With rugby seeing a rise in popularity, Donovan wants to pass on his knowledge, leadership and expertise to the next generation of upcoming rugby stars.
Married to his lovely wife Meagan, also a Georgian alumna, and their three children, and on top of everything else, Donovan still manages to continues to operate and run a recreational flag football league out of Brampton that he himself set up in May 2012.
