Antonia's
father died when she was a young child. Her mother was a teacher
who later became a high school principal. Her mother stressed
the importance of education from the time that Antonia was very
young. Antonia must have listened to her mother, because she graduated
from high school at the early age of 15. Antonia underwent surgery
to correct her medical condition at the same time she was attending
the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras. The surgery was
not completely successful so, when she was 20 she traveled to
the United States for treatment at the Mayo clinic. Finally, Antonia's
medical condition was cured! Antonia was determined to become
a doctor so she could help children who suffered with illness.
She knew what it felt like to feel sick and helpless.
Antonia
received her Bachelor of Science degree at Rio Piedras in 1965
and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Puerto
Rico at San Juan in 1970. Antonia also married Joseph Novello
in 1970. She went to Michigan to complete her internship and held
several different fellowship positions in Washington, D.C. In
1979, she joined the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda,
Maryland. She held several important positions while she worked
there.
In
1990 President George Bush asked Antonia to be the Surgeon General
of the United States. The surgeon general is considered the symbolic
doctor of all Americans. A surgeon general does not see individual
patients; instead she tries to teach the public about health concerns
and how to be healthier. The surgeon general is also head of the
United States Public Health Service. Antonia was a popular Surgeon
General. She worked especially hard to address the health concerns
of America's young people. Antonia was both the first woman and
the first Latin American to be appointed to the post of Surgeon
General.