For Kyle Burkhalter, the path to a high-skill, high-responsibility maritime career started with a passion for hands-on work, and desire to stay in the community.
Raised near Naselle, Washington, Burkhalter grew up working on his family’s dairy farm, which his father and brother still operate today. “I’m the first mariner in my family,” he said. “Often people think to become a mariner it involves family ties or an inside track, but I’m proof that’s not true.”
Instead, Burkhalter found his pathway through Clatsop Community College’s maritime program, one that allowed him to build skills, earn critical licenses, and steadily advance through the industry while staying close to home.
Burkhalter began taking maritime classes at Clatsop Community College in January 2009 after deciding he wanted a more hands-on career. “I called Bill Antilla, (a CCC Maritime Program Instructor) through the directory to ask what the vessel operations program looked like,” he said. “That call is what got me started taking classes.”
That same year, Burkhalter took his first maritime job as a charter boat deckhand during the summer of 2009. In the fall, he was hired by Tidewater Barge Lines, where he would spend the next eleven years building sea time and experience on the Columbia River. He later worked for Shaver Transportation for four years and gained additional experience with Bernert Barge Lines and at Western Towboat Company (WCT) at Tongue Point, each role contributing critical days toward licensing and advancement.
“All of those are tug companies on the river,” Burkhalter explained. “Each step helped me work toward the next license.”
Burkhalter’s story highlights a key strength of Clatsop Community College’s maritime training: flexibility for students who are already working in the industry and need education that fits real-world schedules. Over more than a decade, Burkhalter took classes on and off while working rotating schedules often two weeks on the river followed by two weeks off.
“The biggest benefit of the maritime program at Clatsop is the flexibility,” he said. “It’s an open program. You can come and go as you need, which is huge when you’re working in the industry.”
That flexibility allowed Burkhalter to focus on the credentials that matter most in maritime careers: Coast Guard licensing and certification preparation. “CCC was the study grounds to take the test at the Coast Guard,” he said.
Burkhalter credits CCC’s instructors with helping him navigate the complex requirements of maritime licensing and advancement. “The most positive thing for me was the instructors,” he said. “They had a lot of experience and strong local industry connections. They were very good at charting a path, telling you which classes to take, what sea time you need, and how to prepare for the tests.”
That guidance helped Burkhalter keep his long-term goal in sight from the beginning: becoming a Columbia River Pilot. “It was my goal from the moment I started maritime at Clatsop,” he said. “I worked with some of the best people out there, and that’s where I wanted to be.”
As a Columbia River Pilot, Burkhalter now guides large commercial vessels from the mouth of the Columbia River through challenging currents, tight channels, and heavy traffic to ports including Longview, Kalama, Vancouver, and Portland.
“There’s a lot of responsibility,” he said. “You’re meeting crews from all over the world and bringing ships through a very environmentally sensitive area. I like that pressure; doing it safely and getting the job done right.”
Reaching that point took time, persistence, and commitment. “It took 15 years to get there,” Burkhalter said. “But it was worth it.”
For students considering a maritime career, Burkhalter emphasizes opportunity and upward mobility from entry-level deck work to piloting and shoreside careers, along with the lifestyle advantages that can come with maritime schedules. “It has great growth potential for you,” he said. “Whether you want to work as a deckhand, a captain, or a maritime pilot.”
His advice is simple and direct: set a clear destination and stay the course. “Define your goals and don’t stray from them,” Burkhalter said.
