Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School

Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School (Colegio Adventista del Atlántico Max Trummer) is an Adventist school located in a suburb of Barranquilla, Colombia. Originally founded as Barranquilla Adventist Secondary School (Colegio Adventista de Barranquilla) on February 15, 1925, it is owned and operated by the Atlantic Colombian Conference.

Events Leading to the School’s Establishment

In the mid-1920s, in Barranquilla, Colombia, there were several Adventist church members with school-age children but no Adventist school for them to attend. Therefore, Atlantic Colombia Mission established a school within the church premises. In his visit to the area in 1936, H. E. Baasch, president of Colombia-Venezuela Union Mission, stated:

It is always a great pleasure for me to visit the Barranquilla, Colombia, church. The presence of so many youth and children fills its atmosphere with a buoyancy which gives this church a charm all its own. … The exceptional vigor of this church is largely due to its church school, which has been conducted here for ten consecutive years and is now in its eleventh year. This school has fought its way valiantly through many a crisis and stands today on a firmer and more efficient basis than ever.¹

A house was rented in the Boston neighborhood of Barranquilla, and the school was established there. Later, a property was purchased at the intersection of Carrera Cuartel and Calle Magdalena, where a multipurpose building was erected. In 1930, the school began using the new facilities. This school graduated individuals who had already benefited from Adventist education and wanted to spread the teachings of the Bible. They joined the existing group of colporteurs with the support of Antonio Redondo, Ernest M. Trummer (often called Max Trummer), E. W. Thurber, and Demetrio Peralta.

Founding of the School

The school began in a rented house in the Rebolo neighborhood near the Magdalena River at 26-108 17^th Street. Later, the school moved to a space rented by the Adventist church in another part of the city. This new location was easily accessible and close to the Rebolo and Concordia churches. Caribbean Union Mission (now Caribbean Union Conference) and Atlantic Colombia Mission provided the financial resources for the school, which began on February 15, 1925, with 16 children in first and second grades. Victoria Dávila was its teacher and director.² In 1928, Carmen Redondo and Narcisa M. López joined the school as teachers.³

When the school began, it offered only first and second grades. The plans for the immediate future were to offer three grades in the morning and two grades in the afternoon. However, no diploma would be awarded at the end of the fifth grade.⁴ At the beginning, a modest house had been rented for the newly organized school. The house was shared with the Rebolo Church members. Since the school lacked a formal mission statement, the Adventist Church’s principles provided the missionary elements with a formative focus of holistic education.⁵ The group of students consisted of the children of Adventist church members who desired a Christian education and non-Adventist students who were also admitted.⁶

Important Events

In 1925, 16 students were enrolled. By 1965, 144 students were enrolled. The years 1993 and 1994 were the most significant with an enrollment of 459 students each year. In 2020, 302 students were enrolled, and in 2024, 261 students were enrolled. Regarding the school’s staff, from 1925 to 1930, only one person worked per year. In 2012, a team of 26 worked at the school. In 2024, the school had a staff of 23.⁷

In 1964, a graduation program was held for the basic grades, and the first secondary school graduation occurred in 1977. Between 1977 and 2023, a total of 1,683 students graduated.⁸ More grade levels and courses were created gradually in accordance with the state standards and the Adventist Church’s educational regulations.⁹

The school’s first name in 1925 was Colegio Adventista de Barranquilla. In 1939, the name Escuela Adventista de Boston was adopted in reference to its location. In 1960, the school was renamed Colegio Max Trummer in honor of Ernest Max Trummer, one of Columbia’s pioneers of the Adventist work. In 1964, the secondary school was renamed Colegio Atlántico. In 1965, the name Colegio Atlántico Max Trummer was adopted. In 1988, the name was changed to Colegio Adventista del Atlántico.¹⁰ Currently, it is named “Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School” (Colegio Adventista del Atlántico Max Trummer).¹¹

Accreditations and Licensing

The requirements of the Adventist Church were taken into consideration before establishing further grades or levels or changing teaching methods. The Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (AAA), which recognizes institutional quality, visited often. The first visit from AAA was in 1965. AAA again visited the school in 1967. In 1969, an inspection visit was performed by the secretary of education of the Inter-American Division. In 1973, visits were conducted by the Colombia-Venezuela Union Mission and the Inter-American Division.¹²

In 1988, AAA visited the school again for its secondary level. A three-year AAA accreditation was obtained in 1993 and in 1997. In 1999, the Inter-American Division Accreditation Board conducted the accreditation visit. Accreditation was granted for three years in 2002, 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2018. In 2022, a four-year accreditation was achieved for the secondary level as there is no accreditation for primary or intermediate levels of institutions.¹³

The Ministry of National Education conducted the first state visit in 1964. The school was granted an operating license for the primary education level. The ministry held an inspection in 1967 and 1969. The latter visit resulted in granting an operating license for the secondary education level. In 1971, the ministry approved the primary education level and recognized the studies from the first through fourth years of secondary school. Graduates from the secondary education level had to have their studies approved, and the ministry conducted another inspection at that time.¹⁴

In 1978, the institution received official approval for the secondary school diploma.¹⁵ Later, the institution received approval for all educational levels through one resolution for the primary level and another for the secondary level.¹⁶ In 2004, the District Education Secretary granted the institution its operating license, which still is in effect.¹⁷

Campus Improvements

New bathrooms were built, and the computer laboratory was expanded. The institution took out a loan in 2006 to improve overall campus life. In 2013, a two-story section was built utilizing cement blocks. In 2015, the cafeteria was also built with cement blocks. In 2017, the offices were remodeled. In 2021, a playground was built. In 2023, the school’s facade was modified in addition to improvements to other areas of the campus.¹⁸

Significant Milestones

It is worth highlighting the school’s recognition and support from both the state and the Adventist Church, which respectively granted it an operating license and accreditation. AAA accreditation since 1988 is a clear indication of support for continuing to provide Adventist education to the community. The school’s physical facilities, which have seen continuous improvement since 1960, reflect the efficient management of the school’s administration.

Changes of the Original Mission

The 1999 mission statement outlined the educational task and framed it within service to God, the Adventist community, and society in general, with a clear commitment to the comprehensive development of students. The mission statement, which was studied and approved in 2013, fosters the harmonious development of students.

Advances in Research, Innovation, and Technology

Between 2004 and 2024, the administration dedicated itself to supporting staff development to improve the quality of teaching. Since 2019, among the plans outlined for this purpose, a plan was developed for teachers to acquire laptops as teaching tools. The Fundación Red Colombiana de Semilleros de Investigación promotes research in educational institutions throughout the country. Since 2019, the school has participated by submitting projects. In 2023, a project was presented and qualified for national and international conferences. Several students are actively involved in this.

Challenges Faced

The war between Colombia and Peru from 1932 to 1933 caused many of the Atlantic Colombia Mission’s plans to be aborted. E. W. Thurber, president of the mission, was forced to return to the United States with his wife. R. E. Stewart and his family were called from Cuba to replace him. Amid all the uncertainty, D. N. Peralta, the mission’s secretary/treasurer, who was in charge of many school plans, also left Colombia with his wife, Victoria Dávila. The lack of a school director lasted several months. In 1935, Sara Escandón took over as director, and in 1936, her sister, Isabel Escandón, took the role.

The institution faces several challenges, such as Barranquilla’s high property taxes and electricity costs. Finding teachers who can teach English and mathematics and who identify with the school’s philosophy is difficult. Another challenge is in ongoing communication with parents in the Adventist community to foster a sense of appreciation for Adventist education.¹⁹

Role in the Community

The institution has a direct relationship with the Seventh-day Adventist Church and participates in its humanitarian and social campaigns that take place in the Colombian Caribbean region. It has welcomed students from parts of this region and many other Atlantic coast departments. Being part of the Colombian Adventist educational system also connects the institution with the rest of the country. Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School is widely known, and the Adventist publications that mention it are valuable references. The institution has generated a spiritual, economic, and social impact in the community and is highly sought after for its influence on the spiritual lives of its students.²⁰

The school continues to foster the spiritual, moral, intellectual, physical, and social development of students while maintaining a Christian institutional environment. The school plans to offer technical education in media in the future, so students can acquire the skills of a more comprehensive education.²¹

List of Directors and Institutional Name Changes

Barranquilla Adventist Secondary School (Colegio Adventista de Barranquilla)

Victoria Dávila (1925-1930); Justina Colón (1931-1933); Carmen Redondo (1934); Sara Escandón (1935); Isabel Escandon (1936); Graciela Rodríguez (1937-1938).

Boston Adventist School (Escuela Adventista de Boston)

Elías García (1939-1940); Lola Escandón (1941-1942); Ignacio Carrillo (1943); José Pereira del Río (1944); Narcisa Moreno (1945); Inés Mejía (1946); Ana Teresa Pérez (1947); Lola Escandón (1948); Judith Escandón (1949); Conchita Pacheco (1950-1953); Juan Pérez (1954); Zita Robinson (1955-1956); Ana Teresa Pérez (1957); Rosalba Hereira (1958-1959).

Max Trummer Secondary School (Colegio Max Trummer)

Conchita Pacheco de Arbeláez (1960-1962); Hernando Sierra (1963).

Atlantic Secondary School (Colegio Atlántico)

Augusto Ferrer (1964).

Max Trummer Atlantic Secondary School (Colegio Atlántico Max Trummer)

Lola Escandón de Gelvis (1965-1971); Mariela Miranda (1972); Jorge Sánchez (1973); Jorge Robinson (1974); Abel Tuirán (1975); Trinidad de Leiva (1976); Eunice Esther Zabaraín Silva (1977); Enoc Iglesias Ortega (1978-1982); Eunice Ester Zabaraín de Robinson (1983-1987).

Atlantic Adventist Secondary School (Colegio Adventista del Atlántico)

Lixbert Ruiz Adames (1988-1989); Nelson Abelino Utria Avendaño (1990-1995); Gustavo Adolfo Pherez Gómez (1996-1999); Eunice Ester Zabaraín de Robinson (2000-2004).

Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School (Colegio Adventista del Atlántico Max Trummer)

Enrique Alfonso Urquijo Salazar (2005-2007); Eunice Ester Zabaraín de Robinson (2008-2011); Abimael De la Cruz González (2012-2017); Carmela Rodríguez Durán (2018- ).

Sources

Atlántico Education Secretary. Resolution 001184. October 2004. Barranquilla, Colombia.

Baasch, H. E. “In and Around Barranquilla.” The Inter-American Division Messenger, July 1936.

Database for Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School. School director’s office archives, Barranquilla, Colombia.

History of the Colegio Adventista de Barranquilla, Escuela Adventista de Boston, Colegio Max Trummer, Colegio Atlántico Max Trummer, and Colegio Adventista del Atlántico 1925-1989. Unpublished document. School director’s office archives, Barranquilla, Colombia.

“Institutional Self-Study.” Colegio Adventista del Atlántico. 1999. School director’s office archives, Barranquilla, Colombia.

Ministry of National Education. Resolution 18004. December 4, 1978. Bogota, Colombia.

Ministry of National Education. Resolutions 3757 and 3858. April 13, 1981. Bogota, Colombia.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook, https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

Notes

1. H. E. Baasch, “In and Around Barranquilla,” The Inter-American Division Messenger, July 1936, 9.↩

2. “Institutional Self-Study,” Colegio Adventista del Atlántico, 1999, 14, school director’s office archives.↩

3. “Atlantic Colombia Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Takoma Park, Washington, D.C.: Review & Herald Publishing Association, 1928), 245-246.↩

4. Enoc Iglesias Ortega, personal knowledge as historian and as ex-president of Max Trummer Atlantic Secondary School.↩

5. Carmela Rodríguez Durán, interview by author, Barranquilla, Colombia, June 17, 2024.↩

6. History of the Colegio Adventista de Barranquilla, Escuela Adventista de Boston, Colegio Max Trummer, Colegio Atlántico Max Trummer, and Colegio Adventista del Atlántico, unpublished document, 1925-1989, school director’s office archives.↩

7. Database for Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School, school director’s office archives.↩

8. Carmela Rodríguez Durán, interview by author, Barranquilla, Colombia, June 17, 2024.↩

9. Enoc Iglesias Ortega, personal knowledge as historian and as ex-president of Max Trummer Atlantic Secondary School.↩

10. History of the Colegio Adventista de Barranquilla, Escuela Adventista de Boston, Colegio Max Trummer, Colegio Atlántico Max Trummer, and Colegio Adventista del Atlántico, unpublished document, 1925-1989, school director’s office archives.↩

11. “Max Trummer Atlantic Adventist Secondary School,” Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, accessed April 4, 2025, www.adventistyearbook.org/entity?EntityID=14024.↩

12. Enoc Iglesias Ortega, personal knowledge as historian and as ex-president of Max Trummer Atlantic Secondary School.↩

13. Ibid.↩

14. Ibid.↩

15. Ministry of National Education, Resolution 18004, December 4, 1978.↩

16. Ministry of National Education, Resolutions 3757 and 3858, April 13, 1981.↩

17. Atlantic Education Secretary, Resolution 001184, October 2004.↩

18. Carmela Rodríguez Durán, interview by author, Barranquilla, Colombia, June 19, 2024.↩

19. Carmela Rodríguez Durán, interview by author, Barranquilla, Colombia, June 21, 2024.↩

20. Enoc Iglesias Ortega, personal knowledge as historian and as ex-president of Max Trummer Atlantic Secondary School.↩

21. Carmela Rodríguez Durán, interview by author, Barranquilla, Colombia, June 24, 2024.↩