A Chicanx writer and educator, Dr. Victoria (Vicky) M. Bañales is the 2025-2028 Watsonville Poet Laureate. Her debut poetry book, The Sun Will Not Harm You by Day, Nor the Moon by Night, was selected by the International Society of Latino Authors (ISLA) for a Best Poetry Book Award (2026). The book received Honorable Mention for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award (2026) by the same organization. Her poetry, stories, and essays have appeared in various journals and anthologies, and she is the founder of Xinachtli Journal (Journal X), a social justice literary arts magazine, awarded the Superior Distinction by the National Council of Teachers of English in 2024. She holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Feminist Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and teaches composition and creative writing at Cabrillo College. Her writing has received support from the Arts Council Santa Cruz County, VONA, Macondo, Hedgebrook, Storyknife, Rooted and Written, and Vermont Studio Center. She is currently working on her first novel, titled Candelaria. She loves nature, especially oceans and mountains, and her go-to places are Pinnacles National Park and Garrapata State Park. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, she now calls Watsonville home after transplanting from Santa Barbara. She teaches English composition and creative writing at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz County.