Tributes pour in for Fresno City College dean Mónica Cuevas. ‘She always made time for us’

An hour before hitting the Roosevelt High School Auditorium stage almost nine years ago to perform Mexican folkloric dances from Nayarit and Sinaloa, Mónica Cuevas said she was nervous.

It was not that she was not familiar with the dances she learned from her days at Sequoia Middle School. Or that her skirt and blouse weren’t bright enough or authentic enough. They were.

It was the years passed since hanging up her folklórico dance shoes that got her nervous about performing at a special 25th anniversary showcase for El Sol Dance Company.

Afterwards, she was beaming. “It’s like riding a bicycle,” said Cuevas.

She died Monday night after suffering a heart attack during a folkloric performance the previous day with Teocalli Cultural Academy.

Funeral services are scheduled at Northpoint Community Church, 4625 E. Palo Alto, at 10 a.m. on Jan. 6. Burial will be at Fresno Memorial Gardens.

Her passion for folkloric dances was only surpassed by her desire to help students as dean of student services and counseling at Fresno City College, said those who knew the 54-year-old Cuevas.

“Like many of you, I will forever remember the devoted way that Mónica spoke about her students, friends and colleagues,” said Fresno City College President Carole Goldsmith in a Tuesday morning announcement.

“She always made time for us and always gleefully attended almost every event the college was involved in. At each event, Mónica made sure to share the good news of the power of education with our community,” said Goldsmith. “She was truly one of Fresno City College’s biggest cheerleaders because she loved her work and believed in our mission.”

Cuevas, who worked in the State Center Community College District for 23 years, also served students at the Madera and Oakhurst campuses.

In 2019, she was honored with induction to the Muro de Honor (Wall of Honor) for accomplished district alumni.

“She has devoted her career to the students of the Central Valley, and is a tireless advocate for their higher education goals,” read her induction text. “She has shared her student success expertise, Latina administrative perspective and time management tips on the local, state and national level.”

Goldsmith, who made grief counselors available at FCC on Tuesday, said Cuevas “was one of our most beloved colleagues.”

“Mónica lived with purpose and passion,” said Goldsmith. “She was an inspirational Latina leader who helped others, including me, to reach their potential. Her legacy and memory will forever live in our hearts.”

Her folkloric dancing passion began early

Alicia Criado, her mother, recalled how her daughter began her love for folkloric dancing. One day, Mónica skipped her PE class with a friend, so Criado went to the school the next day to insist that the two teens not be in the same class.

The solution was to put Mónica in a folkloric class.

“That was in seventh grade. So that’s when she started up again. So the reason that she got back on to it was because she ditched school one day. She never did it again,” said Criado.

Cuevas, said her mother, took a break from folkloric dancing to raise a family but got back into it about 10 years ago.

“She really loved to dance to ‘La Negra,’” said Criado. “She did that beautifully.”

Criado said her daughter was driven by education, often getting teased for continuing her master’s and doctorate degree pursuits by family members.

“‘Mom, when I grow up I want to be a second-grade teacher,’” she would tell me. “She had her heart set on it ever since she was little.”

Cuevas finished her thesis, but stopped short of obtaining her doctorate.

Criado said her daughter’s goal was to become a community college president.

“I know she would have been a good one,” said Criado, who went on trips to Europe, Hawaii and other places with her daughter.

Criado said her daughter was “caring and loving” to everyone regardless of their social standing. She also rarely turned down a request for help, said Criado.

Cuevas praised for pushing education

Tributes to Cuevas came from various leaders and community members.

“She invested more time than any education leader I know engaging in community events and sharing the importance of higher education with our community,” said Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias in a Facebook post.

Monday night, Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria called Cuevas “an awesome Latina leader in our local community college.”

“Today we are reminded of how precious life is. I just saw Mónica Cuevas at the Fiesta Navideña and today she’s no longer with us,” said Soria.

“She touched many lives with her warm smile and generous spirit,” wrote Mary Castro.

“Dean Cuevas was an inspirational, caring, and supportive person who is loved very much in our community. She was a leader in education and will truly be missed.,” wrote the Fresno State Chicano Alumni Association.

Cuevas – who earned her bachelor’s degree at Fresno State and her master’s degree from National University – served on numerous college committees.

She served as president of the Latino Educational Issues Roundtable, and was secretary of the Hispanic Serving Institution Consortium of the San Joaquín Valley.

A 1985 graduate of Roosevelt High School where she was on the school’s color guard and folkloric dance group all four years, Cuevas regularly attended FCC sporting events and other functions.

Saturday, she volunteered at the Fresno Latino Rotary Club’s annual Christmas toy giveaway at Chukchansi Park. The previous night, she attended the FCC Latino Faculty & Staff Association’s Christmas celebration.

She is survived by her mother, Alicia Criado; her sister Leticia Montes; children Michael, Matthew and Miranda; and two granddaughters. Her brother Luis died in October.

Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 14 de diciembre de 2021, 3:25 p. m..