At Portland Community College’s Swan Island Trades Center, the clang and bright sparks of welding tools gave way to a different kind of activity — one of celebration, accomplishment and new beginnings.
The maritime welding program’s recent completion ceremony honored a group of students who didn’t just earn certificates in maritime welding and ship fitting — they forged a path forward in a challenging, high-demand industry, many overcoming personal challenges that once seemed insurmountable.
The celebration was more than ceremonial. It marked a transition from training to opportunity where students emerged with the confidence, skill, and direction to transition successfully into the workplace. Through the Oregon college’s Career Pathways initiative and student scholarships provided by WorkSource, the maritime welding program does more than teach a trade.
“It dismantles barriers,” said Patty Hawkins, program dean for electronics, mechatronics, advanced manufacturing and PCC’s OMIC Training Center. “The program supports education and training opportunities in maritime welding and the college provides support, including English language acquisition and housing stability. It welcomes adults who have been in custody, individuals in recovery, and those who served our country. Through the training and support, the maritime welding program offers an essential lifeline.”
A shift in careers
One example is Mis Ter Rae Two Crow, who hails from the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in New Town, North Dakota. She said her upbringing was grounded in both community and labor.
“I’m Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara on my mother’s side and Anishinaabe on my father’s,” she said.
As a child, while her mother and aunts encouraged time in the kitchen, she gravitated to outdoor work alongside her uncle, who was a carpenter, plumber, electrician and one of her earliest mentors. Her early exposure to carpentry, plumbing and electrical work sparked a passion that simmered under the surface for years.
“I always wanted to be outside doing hard manual labor,” Two Crow said with a smile.
That early exposure to the trades planted a seed, even if it did not immediately blossom into a career path. After high school, she enrolled in automotive and wood-shop courses, then began a years-long journey across the country — searching not just for work, but for meaning.
She landed in Los Angeles in 2018, taking on a role as a project coordinator in construction, which offered exposure to a range of trades. Though she loved the experience and soaked up knowledge from seasoned professionals, a sense of incompleteness lingered.
Then came the pandemic.
With construction halted and bills piling up, Two Crow returned home. She briefly worked in road construction and earned a heavy equipment certification. Yet, once again, she felt the pull toward something else. When a former boss suggested welding, she remembered the spark her aunt — a welder herself — had lit years ago. The idea took root.
By 2022, Two Crow was enrolled at Lynne’s Welding School in Fargo, working as a tank welder for True North Steel. Her experience was “insightful and gratifying,” exposing her to the diversity and depth of the welding profession.
“I met people from all different backgrounds and experiences,” she said. “It was at this time in my life where I was finally starting to feel content.”
But it was Portland, where she had previously attended PCC, that called her back.
“Portland is my home away from home,” she explained. “My friends are my family, and my peers are my friends.”
A guiding hand
Two Crow began exploring opportunities that went far beyond her initial dream of underwater welding. The turning point came when she joined PCC’s maritime welding program. Guided by instructor Todd Barnett — whom she credits with breaking down complex skills like blueprint reading into digestible lessons — Two Crow found not only technical mastery but also personal clarity.
“The most challenging part for me was understanding the blueprints, but with time and patience, my understanding has evolved tremendously, and now I feel more confident than I did at the beginning,” she said. “After being here and learning about all the different opportunities, I feel like my options are endless.”
She praises the program not just for its technical rigor, but for its emotional and educational support. Central to her success, she says, has been the guidance of Barnett.
“He’s challenged me mentally in the best way possible,” she said.
An advocate for women in the trades
Two Crow isn’t content to specialize in one technique or one domain.
“If it’s metal, I want to weld it,” she declares. “GMAW, FCAW, stick, flux, dual shield — on land or at sea.”
Two Crow is also a passionate advocate for women in the trades, especially in welding — a field traditionally dominated by men but rapidly diversifying. Between 2016 and 2019, the number of female welders rose by 30%. As of 2025, women now make up more than 6% of the welding workforce — a significant shift that reflects broader societal changes and the efforts of programs like PCC’s.
“It’s always growing, and the opportunities are limitless,” she said. “This program means a great deal to me and my future. My journey started on a foggy path but coming to the end of this chapter, I’m finally starting to see things clearly. I know that welding is what I want to do.”
