she/her/hers

Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, Vielka Solano obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. After immigrating to Modesto, California, Vielka started working for Golden Valley Health Centers, providing healthcare to the underserved, rural community of Patterson, California. A published poet, Vielka’s work focuses on social injustice, the trauma of war, and domestic violence. She is the founder “Poesia y Arte Curando el Alma,” an outreach program designed to give those who have suffered domestic violence a voice through the arts. In 2019, Vielka was among the recipients of the Outstanding Women of the Year award from the Stanislaus County Commission for Women, and has also received the Concilio Unsung Hero Award. Vielka is part of Inlfuencers4Justice, a program funded by Blue Shield of California Foundation.