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Social entrepreneurship professor Josie Balzac Arroyo has been chosen as a 2022 Don Quijote Excellence Award finalist by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando and Prospera, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Hispanic entrepreneurs.

Each year, the Don Quijote Awards recognize successful businesses and individuals who exemplify visionary leadership within Central Florida’s Hispanic community. The Excellence Award specifically recognizes those who have demonstrated a profound commitment to service in their communities.

Balzac Arroyo was chosen for her long history of serving as a changemaker at Rollins and beyond. Last year, she received the Hugh F. McKean Award, voted on by the graduating student body, representing a professor who goes above and beyond in service to their students. This year, she stepped into the role of department chair for the social entrepreneurship program after teaching at Rollins for nearly a decade. She is known for encouraging her students to enact service within their communities with the motto, “Think globally, act locally.”

A longtime advocate for climate justice, Balzac Arroyo has served on the City of Orlando Green Works Task Force since 2017. As a practicing lawyer, she has provided pro bono work for organizations like the ACLU’s Immigration Task Force and the Parramore Environmental Justice Coalition.

Winners of the Don Quijote Awards will be announced on December 10 at a ceremony at the Epcot World Showcase Pavilion.

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