Valentino, Damon 

Middle School Assistant

damon valentino

Damon grew up in Michigan and attended Michigan State University on a tennis scholarship and graduated with a degree in Psychology. After college he took a shot on the pro tour, but soon realized that teaching tennis was much more enjoyable. He took a job as Director of Tennis at Brandt Pointe Racquet Club on Nantucket Island, where he spent eight seasons developing their junior tennis program. With four months off every year, he focused his time developing two passions; green landscape design and working travel. Some highlights include an apprenticeship for a landscape architect, Avant Gardener in San Francisco, a volunteer stint for the non-profit, Seeing Hands Massage, in Phenom Phen, Cambodia, and a teaching position at Likir Monastary in Leh, India (English and Math). Damon made the move to San Francisco in 1999 and split time between landscape and education. Eventually, he took a position as fourth grade teacher at Live Oak School, where he worked for four years in the classroom and as After School Director. He came to Friends three years ago as Interim Director of After School, and for the past two years has been working as Middle School Assistant. Damon is in his second year of graduate work at Holy Names University, working towards his Masters in Education with an Educational Therapy Certificate. Damon and his wife, Anne, live in Noe Valley with their 18 year old cat, Miles.