Oct. 30, 2009

Christian Communicators Graduate from 3-Year School in Ecuador
Source: HCJB Global
Clutching their diplomas, four communications graduates were hugged and congratulated by professors, family and friends after an Oct. 17 ceremony at Radio Station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador.

The graduates of the Christian Center for Communications/Northwestern College (CCC/NWC) were admonished by NWC President Dr. Alan S. Cureton that tough times may lie ahead, but that "dark days give God an opportunity to show Himself strong."

Class 2009 valedictorian David Changoluisa told the crowd, "The reward is large after completing this. We don't leave with just one diploma, but with three. We've gained friends, confidants and experiences that have helped us grow." The other graduates were Santiago Clavijo, Sara Ortiz and Mónica Posligua.

Ortiz said later that she had enrolled after hearing about the school from a friend and from a university exposition in her home city, Quito. She hopes to begin work at a newspaper and move to being a magazine editor. Each student must complete a final project before graduation, and hers analyzed the communications strategy of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.
 
Under Ecuador's National Council of Higher Education (CONESUP), the graduates were awarded a two-year technician degree followed by a three-year technologist's degree. NWC, based in St. Paul, Minn., also awarded each graduate an associate degree in applied sciences and Bible. Since the CCC has received U.S. educational accreditation under NWC's auspices, several graduates have completed an additional 27 credits for a bachelor's degree from the Minnesota school.

During the ceremony, several seconds of applause followed Dr. Alford Ottley's slow and determined delivery in the Spanish language that he is learning. His words congratulated the graduates and sent them forth to join other CCC and NWC graduates around the world.

Ottley serves as vice president of NWC's global initiative, a position the college created three years ago. "This gives us an opportunity to put our money where our mouth is," he said, as both NWC's mission and vision statements project a global reach. In addition to Ecuador, the college has partnerships and anticipated alliances in Kenya, India, South Africa and Ukraine.

In a symbolic handover of Studio 7 at Radio Station HCJB studio on Oct. 20, Ottley and the CCC staff received the studio from Anabella Cabezas, director of media for Latin America.

"We're sending students out, and we expect them to be professional," Ottley added. "We want to train them in a professional manner-not makeshift, not secondary-but using professional equipment and professional studios, including the one that we are able to use now from HCJB."