(Oct. 28, 2011 - by Ralph Kurtenbach) Flinging their mortar boards high, five Ecuadorians rejoiced at a small graduation ceremony in Quito after completing a communications program. Angie Egüez, Carolina Córdova, David Ruiz, Estefanía Salguero and Mathías Saltos graduated in 2011, but the latter two were unable to attend as Salguero is studying at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn., and Saltos is studying in France. Two graduates of the class of 2010, Valeria Fiallos and Gabriela Yépez, also participated in this year's ceremony.

All completed course work at the three-year Christian Center of Communications/Northwestern College (CCC/NWC) which is based on the campus of Radio Station HCJB in Quito.

Left to right: CCC graduates Angie Egüez, Gaby Yépez, David Ruiz, Carolina Córdova and Valeria Fiallos.

Via a live video conference, Dr. Janet Sommers, senior vice president for academic affairs at NWC, congratulated the students, pointing out that it was a "day of celebration … not the end of your journey."

In Quito, translation into Spanish followed each of Sommers' phrases. "Because we serve a mighty God, you can dream mighty dreams," she admonished her listeners. "Because we serve a risen Savior, you can rise to meet the path before you, to take up His cross, and to follow Him."

The CCC began in 1984 with 19 students. The program has enjoyed accreditation on two continents, including excellent audit evaluations by two Ecuadorian government agencies that regulate higher education.

Within the last two years, the program received an "A" rating by Ecuador's Consejo Nacional de Acreditación y Certificación de la Educación Superior (National Council of Accreditation and Certification of Higher Education) while the Consejo Nacional de Educación Superior (National Council of Higher Education) scored the program at 98 percent.

CCC Director Elsi Peñaranda

HCJB Global's communications school has, however, ceased enrolling new students due to financial shortfalls. Young Latin Americans already studying at the CCC/NWC will be able to graduate from the three-year program in either 2012 or 2013.

HCJB Global President Wayne Pederson has said HCJB Global will continue equipping Christians, not only in Latin America but worldwide. "We will train men and women who are called to ministry-those who know the language and the culture-and are already there," he said.

Source: HCJB Global