Students from 16 countries celebrated their academic achievement at Antillean Adventist University

As part of its 65th anniversary celebration, Antillean Adventist University (Antillean) awarded academic degrees to 183 students during the Sixty-Fourth Graduation Ceremonies held at the Mayagüez Recreation and Sports Palace.

The achievement of the graduates, who came from Puerto Rico, Germany, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to a comprehensive education and an academic experience enriched by cultural diversity.

During the emotional ceremony, which brought together graduates, family members and members of the university community, the academic success of students who completed technical studies, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, post-baccalaureate certifications and master’s degrees was recognized.

The president of Antillean, Dr. Edwin Hernández, highlighted the support of family members, teachers and collaborators of the institution, and recognized the effort and desire for self-improvement of the Graduating Class of 2026.

“Our sincere wish is that this experience continues to inspire you to become highly competent professionals committed to serving God and humanity. We are filled with pride to see how students from different countries and states across the United States have found in Antillean a space to grow academically, professionally, and spiritually. This diversity reflects the reach of our educational mission and reaffirms the impact our institution continues to have beyond Puerto Rico. It also validates Antillean’s commitment to a transformative and accessible education, capable of generating opportunities,” said Hernández.

Another significant moment of the ceremony was the awarding of the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa in Sciences to Dr. Víctor Noel Ortiz Justiniano, a distinguished physician, educator and pioneer of pediatric surgery in Puerto Rico, in recognition of a career of more than five decades dedicated to medicine, the training of health professionals and Christian service.

The ceremony featured Pastor Abdiel del Toro, Vice President of Spanish Ministries for the Florida Conference, as the guest speaker. He shared a message focused on leadership, purpose, and commitment to mission and service. Del Toro, an Antillean graduate with over twenty years of ministry experience, encouraged the graduates to practice their profession with vision, faith, and purpose.

With these graduation ceremonies, Antillean reaffirmed once again its mission to develop academically prepared professionals, grounded in Christian values ​​and committed to positively impacting society and the world.