Dave Curtis, a Bishop Hendricken alumni and former administrator, has left the school to work at Boston High College in Boston.

“It was fantastic,” Curtis said, recalling his experience at Hendricken. “When I first began I was brand new working in schools, and so I want to thank everyone who gave me a chance.”

Curtis also personally thanked Catherine Solomon, vice president of advancements and director of admissions.

“She quickly became a major influence and mentor for me, helping me out whenever I needed assistance,” said Curtis.

As the director of marketing and strategic initiatives at Hendricken, Curtis advised Hendricken’s president, principal and vice principal regarding the school’s messaging and strategic planning. He also assisted admissions and advancement efforts and served as the co-architect of the school’s SELECT Honors Institute and SELECT Forum.

Curtis feels that undertaking the assistant director for special events and Stewardship at Boston College High was the best opportunity he’d get for a long while. The job is “exceptionally” different from that at Hendricken.

“It puts me in a position where I’m able to receive an entirely new set of skills. I aspire to be a school leader myself one day, and a combination of the skills I’ve learned at Bishop Hendricken and Boston College High will make that an attainable dream.”

As assistant director for special events and stewardship, Curtis will work with the more generous donors of the school. He’ll need to know events that occur on a daily basis and make sure he is in contact with students and alumni.

Curtis believes that one of the most essential parts of his job is to let the donors know that they are changing the students’ lives for the better.

“They’re giving some students an unbelievable amount of money,” he says, “and they should be recognized for their efforts.”

Knowing what is happening at the school may be a slight problem for Curtis, especially in his first few weeks. Due to the much larger size of the school, enrolling more than 1,600 students, as opposed to Hendricken’s 1,000, Curtis has frequently become lost. He blames it on “a lack of institutional knowledge.”

His much bigger concern is synonymous to the common fear of students at a new school: not fitting in well. In Curtis’ case, he finds that it will be hard to be part of the team. Until he better understands his surroundings, he believes it will be more difficult to work to his best potential.

“The school is so similar to Hendricken,” he says. “It’s such a vibrant place to be a part of.”

Discussing some of his thoughts as a Hawk, Curtis said that, “I met so many amazing people. It was a fantastic job where I had fun going into school each morning.”

Two weeks ago from today, Curtis officially began his transformation from a Hendricken Hawk into a Boston College High School Eagle. With the skills he obtained at Hendricken, he feels that he is able to provide a sufficient amount of resources and tools for his co-workers.

An undergraduate of Syracuse University and Providence College, where he earned a master’s degree, Curtis started his career as a journalist. He joined the staff at Hendricken in July 2011.