Nursing student Lina Morales finds one purpose across two careers

By: Nicole Luna ◆ September 10, 2026

For nearly two decades, Lina Morales has helped people look and feel their best as a cosmetologist. Now, as a student in the College of Nursing at UNT Health Fort Worth, she is preparing to care for people in a new way.

Morales had long felt drawn to helping others, but the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to reconsider what that calling could look like. When salons closed and cosmetology was not considered essential work, she began thinking about a second career that would allow her to continue serving others, even during times of crisis.

“I feel like the universe has guided me and my heart in a direction to serve others,” Morales said.

A friend introduced her to UNT Health’s new nursing program. Its small cohort appealed to Morales, but when she first applied for fall 2025, she was not accepted.

Instead of giving up, she retook prerequisite courses and improved her GPA with plans to apply again. Then, in spring 2026, she received an unexpected phone call from Assistant Dean Nicki McGee offering her a seat in the program.

Morales had to make her decision quickly.

“I obviously accepted, and I am so grateful that I am now in this program,” she said. “I am so glad I answered a phone number that I did not recognize or have saved in my cell phone.”

Her first semester brought challenges beyond the demands of nursing school. Morales was adjusting to a new environment while navigating illness in her family and the death of a family member. She credits the support of College of Nursing faculty, particularly Academic Student Nagivator Melanie Narro, with helping her through that difficult period.

“She is just a wonderful and caring person who offered me the support I needed,” Morales said.

After completing her second semester, Morales said she feels more confident and knows where to turn when she needs help.

Throughout nursing school, she has continued working as a self-employed cosmetologist. The flexibility allows her to arrange appointments around classes and coursework, while the relationships she has developed with longtime clients remain an important part of her life.

“I love my career as a cosmetologist,” she said. “It brings me joy to help others feel good about themselves, whether on the outside or inside.”

Morales plans to continue working in cosmetology even after becoming a nurse. Although the two professions may appear different, she sees a connection between them: Both give her an opportunity to listen, build trust and help others feel cared for.

She also balances school and work with her role as a wife and parent. Her two children are also in college, which means they understand one another’s demanding schedules and the stress that comes with exams.  

When asked what it is like to attend college at the same time as her children, Morales joked, “Expensive!” But she also described it as a special experience that gives them something meaningful to share.

Returning to school as a parent has required sacrifices, including occasionally missing family events to meet academic deadlines. Morales hopes her children understand that those sacrifices are temporary and will ultimately benefit their family.

“All things worth having require hard work and dedication,” she said. 

That determination is rooted in a life experience Morales carries with her every day. In 2005, she lost her 4½-year-old daughter, Mya, in an act of domestic violence. Morales had left an abusive relationship with Mya’s father, who later took their daughter’s life and his own.

Learning to live without Mya was the most difficult challenge Morales has faced. She endured many painful days, particularly on birthdays, holidays and the anniversary of her daughter’s death, but promised Mya, her loved ones and herself that she would continue moving forward. 

“My daughter Mya is the reason why I am the person I am today,” Morales said. “I want her to be proud of her mom.”

Morales chooses to speak about Mya because she hopes her experience might help someone facing abuse, grief or another seemingly impossible circumstance. She also wants people to know the lasting impact her daughter has had on the person she has become.

“Life can be so hard and so beautiful,” Morales said. “I just choose to work toward beautiful.”

After graduation, Morales plans to take the National Council Licensure Examination as soon as possible, enjoy a long-awaited vacation with her husband and spend time with family and friends. Professionally, she hopes to begin her nursing career in an intensive care unit in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Her journey has not followed the timeline she originally imagined, but Morales does not regret the path that brought her to nursing school. When people ask how she manages work, school, family responsibilities and everything she has experienced, she has a characteristically straightforward response:

“I’m just gonna wing it.”

Behind the humor is a lifetime of perseverance and a determination to build a career centered on caring for others.