Antonia Novello

Antonia Novello was born August 23, 1944 in Puerto Rico. She suffered from abnormal colon issues throughout her childhood, which made life hard for her on several occasions. She didn’t receive treatment for this condition until she was eighteen years old, but experience complications and was forced to travel to the United States to seek help at the Mayo clinic. 

 Antonia then achieved her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of San Juan in 1970. She began working in Pediatrics and married a man named Joseph Novello. In 1979, she joined the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, and eventually became Deputy Director of the area. 

 Following this, George W. Bush named Antonia Surgeon General in 1990. She was the first woman and the first Latin American to be selected to such a position. She addressed the health problems of young adults and was pretty popular during this time. She left this position in 1993 to work in the United Nations Children Health Organization for several years. Antonia used her culture to care for those who needed it and gave them all equal attention. She has made quite a large impact on the medical world. Recently, however, Antonia has faced charges for using a state-employed driver for personal business, but plans on returning to her work.

 Info from: http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/nov0bio-1