Born at just 30 weeks and weighing 2 pounds, 7 ounces, María José Cobos Moreno, a student in the Traditional BSN Program at the University of Florida, began life fighting. Alongside her twin sister, Cobos Moreno spent more than 40 days in a neonatal intensive care unit, relying on the skill, vigilance, and compassion of nurses and physicians who refused to give up on either of them.
Those early days became the first chapter of a story that would follow her across continents.
Growing up in Venezuela, Cobos Moreno often listened as her mother reflected on those first weeks of life and the medical teams who supported both sisters during such a critical time. The experience became a defining part of her family’s story—one that highlighted the power of care, persistence, and hope. When she was 8 years old, just before her family immigrated to the United States, María José met the neonatologist who helped save her life. The encounter left a lasting impression.
“It gave me a sense of purpose,” Cobos Moreno recalls. “I knew I wanted to work in health care and give back the same compassion that once gave me a second chance.”
Adjusting to life in the U.S. was not easy. Learning English, adapting to a new culture, and navigating a disability related to her premature birth brought daily challenges. But rather than slowing her down, those experiences strengthened her resolve.
Today, Cobos Moreno is a proud nursing student at the University of Florida and the first in her family to pursue higher education and a career in health care. As a first-generation college student and immigrant, she sees her journey as a reflection of resilience, perseverance, and possibility.
Her dream is to become a neonatal nurse practitioner and care for babies who, like her and her twin sister, begin life in the NICU.
“I’m honored to share my story,” she says. “Being a Gator Nurse means everything to me.”