. ▁A ▁second - gener ation ▁New ▁York ▁Puerto ▁R ican , ▁she ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁She ▁said ▁she ▁rel ates ▁to ▁her ▁Jane ▁the ▁Virgin ▁character ▁because ▁her ▁mother ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁young ▁single ▁mother . ▁N aved o ▁graduated ▁from ▁De W itt ▁Cl inton ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁and ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁Old ▁West bury ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁with ▁a ▁B A ▁in ▁Communic ative ▁and ▁Creative ▁Arts ▁and ▁a ▁concentration ▁of ▁Theater . ▁ ▁N aved o ▁was ▁also ▁featured ▁in ▁a ▁De W itt ▁Cl inton ▁Notable ▁Al umn i ▁article ▁alongside ▁other ▁famous ▁al umn i ▁such ▁as ▁Stan ▁Lee . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁N aved o ▁began ▁her ▁professional ▁acting ▁career ▁on ▁the ▁day time ▁soap ▁oper as . ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁she ▁played ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁L inda ▁S oto ▁in ▁the ▁ABC ▁soap ▁opera , ▁One ▁Life ▁to ▁Live . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁she ▁joined ▁the ▁cast ▁of ▁CBS ▁soap ▁opera ▁Gu iding ▁Light ▁as ▁Ther esa ▁Sand oval . ▁She ▁made ▁her ▁film ▁debut ▁with ▁small ▁part ▁in ▁Girl ▁ 6 ▁( 1 9 9 6 ), ▁and ▁later ▁guest ▁star red ▁in ▁episodes ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁Under cover ▁and ▁The ▁District . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁N aved o ▁co - star red ▁in ▁the ▁action ▁comedy ▁film