By Sharon Hofstra Haugen
SPECIAL TO THE HIGHLINE TIMES

Faith Enyeart Ireland, a 1960 Highline High graduate, has been named by the school’s alumni foundation as its 2013 Alumnus of the Year.

Alumni foundation president Howard Call, a 1957 graduate, said the foundation is proud to have Ireland join the others who have won this award.

Faith Enyeart graduated with the class of 1960 and went on to the University of Washington, earning her B.A. degree and then attended Willamette University College of Law, graduating in 1969 with a law degree.

Eventually she went into private practice after working for a time with a law firm in Seattle and was a founding member of the Washington State Women Lawyers Organization. Ireland was a trial lawyer for 13 years.

She was appointed as a King County Superior Court judge in 1983 and then elected to four terms, serving 15 years.

Ireland was elected to the Washington State Supreme Court for one term from 1999-2005.

She has served in multiple capacities on boards with numerous organizations affiliated with her legal career and retired to use her professional expertise as an arbiter and mediator, earning her certificate in 2005 from Pepperdine University School of Law.

After a back injury early in her career, she took up power lifting to help with her back/neck pain and has competed for 14 years. Ireland has earned multiple championship awards within her category in competitions, taking her to Europe, India and South America. Those awards include seven national championships in the USAPL, 12 worldwide records in two federations and 27 American records in three federations. She will compete this September in Orlando, Florida for the USAPL world team.

She continues to serve her community on a number of boards for community and charity groups, including working to help build the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Ireland was named " Chinese Man of the Year" for her contribution to this effort.

In receiving the alumnus award, Ireland spoke to the Highline High student body June 6. She also gave a bust of U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas to the school.

Ireland has been a lifetime member and continued supporter of the alumni foundation. The foundation was founded in 1995. It sponsors scholarships for outstanding graduating seniors each year along with contributing to the school's special projects. The foundation raises funds through an annual golf tournament each August, yearly membership dues and donations/ events. They also honor inductees into the Highline High School Sports Hall of Fame. More information is at www.highline-highschool-alumni-foundation.org.

Each year in September the 'Girls of the Class of 60 Highline/Mt. Rainier' meet at Angelo's in Burien. Ireland attends the annual get-togethers.