Bellevue Alumni Association - Alumni Spotlight:

The Honorable Linda Coburn (Parrish), Bellevue East Class of 1982

Q: What was your most memorable experience in high school?

A: It is hard to just choose one. The two that stand out the most were playing volleyball and working on the yearbook.

Volleyball has been and continues to be a big part of my life. I remember Coach Kappas volunteering to drive a group of us every day from Bellevue to summer volleyball camp at UNL. As a high school student, I don't think we really understood what a time commitment that was for our coach or the foresight she had at the time. I just know those rides were really fun and camp was great. No wonder we had such a great season that next year and made it to State. My love for volleyball and competition continues today. It is how I met my husband and how we met some of our closest friends. I still put together travel teams to compete in master tournaments -- even internationally. And I officiate high school volleyball for fun.

Working on the yearbook was a blast. We exercised much independence and shared many laughs--so much so that the physics teacher across the hallway slammed his door closed on more than one occasion. Oops. We had such a dedicated staff, working all weekend when we were on deadline. That was the seed that grew into a passion for journalism and eventually my first career at The Seattle Times. We should all continue to support independent journalism.

Q: Tell us about a teacher, coach, or staff member who significantly impacted you

A: Mr. Langhorst was my advanced history teacher. It was a tough class. We had A LOT of reading requirements, but Mr. Langhorst also allowed us to select/propose various books to meet our reading requirement beyond our textbook. He provided a list of books we could choose from. My brother was in college at the time and told me about some books that touched on Chinese culture and history, particularly through the lens of Chinese Americans. Needless to say, there were not many Chinese in Bellevue. I brought these book titles to Mr. Langhorst and asked if it was ok if I selected them as part of my reading requirement. He completely supported my choices. Now there was a teacher who knew that the key to getting students to learn about history is supporting their natural curiosity and interests. 

But Mr. Langhorst was no pushover. Senioritis prevented me from completing my last reading assignments on time. I am not sure why, but I thought he would just give me a pass because I was a good student and the school year was almost over. Instead, he let me know that if I did not complete my last two assignments, my diploma at graduation would be blank. What??? While all my friends were enjoying getting out of school early, I had my nose in my books and wrote my last two book reports. I remember tracking him down in the faculty lounge to turn them in just in time to graduate. I eagerly handed my reports to him. He glanced at them and handed them back to me with a smile. I asked him if he was going to read them and grade them. He said no. He made his point. That lesson was not lost on me for the rest of my life. RIP, Mr. Langhorst.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I am on my third career. My first career was in journalism. I worked for The Seattle Times for about 13 years. During that time, I held various positions in different departments. I was a reporter, editor, and manager. I learned so much and it felt great to contribute to making our world a better place.

When I chose to leave journalism to go to law school, I was not sure what I wanted to do, but I knew it was going to be in public service. It was a big leap to go to law school because I was older, already married, and had two little kids. But it was so worth it. I loved law school. It led to my second career as a public defender. Another career that I absolutely loved. So demanding and so satisfying. After about 10 years as a practicing attorney, I was appointed to fill a vacancy to be my town's municipal court judge, and later retained my seat in an uncontested election. What an honor and privilege it was to find new ways to implement greater access to justice and reduce recidivism.

Four years ago I was elected to the Washington State Court of Appeals. We hear appeals of every type of case from the trial courts. It satisfies my desire to be a life-long learner and desire to serve the public and do my small part to try and make the world a better place. I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love and love what I do.

Q: What has been your proudest achievement since graduating from high school?

A: Personally, it has to be raising two lovely young men. Professionally, it was being elected to the Washington State Court of Appeals.

Q: What advice would you give to current students in Bellevue who are trying to figure out their future paths?

A: Explore different things while in high school and beyond. It is possible to do what you love and love what you do. Follow your passions. Set mini doable goals with a plan on how they will help you get to your big goal. Life is too short to just sit back and watch it pass. It's okay to not know exactly what you want to do or who you want to be. When I was about to graduate from college, I was not sure what I wanted to do. It was stressful. Then I realized that my part-time job in college -- being the editor of the yearbook -- was not just a side "fun" hobby. It was work I enjoyed and made me happy. That is when I realized I should go after what I loved to do -- be a journalist. I then set out a plan with steps on how to do it. It's okay to change career paths. Each time I changed I was ready to set new goals.

Linda's Favorites...

Movie: Whale Rider

Book: The Joy Luck Club

Song: All of Me

Food: Chinese

Bellevue Restaurants: Bronco's