When principal Damien Pattenaude walks the halls of Renton, he can really sympathize with the students. In fact, he knows almost exactly what they are going through.

Pattenaude, who took over at principal in 2008, graduated from Renton High School in 1995. Since then, he’s taught and coached at Renton before finally coming back as principal.

“I had a real sense of pride to be able to come back to the school that I graduated from,” Pattenaude said. “It’s a little crazy, some people that I went to school with can’t believe I am the principal now… It’s an interesting dynamic, having actually gone here, and not that long ago.”

Tim White, a counselor at Renton, knew Pattenaude when he was a student. White also coached with Pattenaude when both were on Rick Comer’s boys basketball coaching staff. He said Pattenaude’s age and experience at Renton give him a special angle to approach his job.

“He’s close enough in age to understand the students,” White said. “But he’s still respected as an adult. He runs a real tight ship here.”

While Pattenaude wasn’t on White’s caseload, White saw him in the gym while Pattenaude was playing for Comer.

“He took time out to try to help me find opportunities so I could determine where I was going to go in my life,” Pattenaude said.

White informed Pattenaude of a program at Washington State University, which Pattenaude called the “first domino” that fell and helped him pay for school. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WSU.

Back at Renton, Pattenaude said he gets to see many former basketball players as they come back to visit with Comer, who’s been at Renton since 1983.

“He’s the godfather,” Pattenaude said. “Everybody flocks back to always touch base with coach.”

As a student and player for Comer, Pattenaude was part of building what has become an excellent basketball tradition for the school. Now as principal he hopes to change any negative perceptions some might have about the school.

“When I went to Renton, it was viewed in some of the same ways it is now, which is not always in a positive light,” he said.

“He’s from Skyway,” White said. “Every student is a success in their own right, but to see a former student come back and actually excel in the area of education… He’s done a great job and I totally support him.”