Dr. Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., (born August 23, 1944) is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator.

She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as fourteenth Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993.

Isabel Allende is a master storyteller in the genre of magical realism. Her novels have been translated into 30 languages, and have sold more than 51 million copies worldwide.

Her list of honours, awards and accomplishments is truly staggering. But none of this, according to her, reflects who she is, or what has been important in her life.

By Nesima Aberra journalism student.

When I pondered wearing the hijab the summer before my freshman year of college, I thought a lot about what it meant for me to be an American Muslim.

I felt I would be almost betraying everyone I knew with this new addition to my persona, and I didn’t know how people would react.

Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) was a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women's rights movement to introduce women's suffrage into the United States.

She traveled the United States, and Europe, and gave 75 to 100 speeches every year on women's rights for 45 years.

Grandmother sat outside, as she was wont to do every day.

She saw her granddaughter walking toward her, and she noticed the young girl seemed angry.

She was kicking the dirt, and Grandmother could see there were streaks of tears running down her face.

July 1st is my country’s birthday. Over the past 20 years, I’ve become a citizen of the world. Nevertheless, I love Canada, and I missed it during my 18 years as an expatriate.

(Needless to say I didn't miss using tax software and paying Canadian taxes from which being an expat freed me!)

Now that I'm back, I rejoice at the natural beauty of Canad's landscapes and people – they comprise a mosaic of breathtaking diversity that makes my heart sing.

Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, Chief Executive and author. She was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University.

She worked in BBC Radio for five years where she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas.

Here are 14 provocative quotes from her TEDGlobal 2012 talk: