Dani Hunter (’97) graduated from Calgary Academy 29 years ago. Her time at the school was filled with growth and challenge that led her to both academic success and an understanding of the importance of mental health support.
As she reflects on her education and career today, it’s clear she has come full circle. She now finds herself on the front lines, able to support others’ mental wellness through her work at her family’s foundation.
10 Years at CA
Dani attended Calgary Academy for 10 years, from Grades 2–12. She started at CA after some early learning struggles in school, but excelled at CA, graduating in 1997 as an honours student. Dani remembers CA being much different from what it is today.
It felt like living in the country, with forests and nearby farms surrounding the school. Some days, she would walk through the trees, resting on the grass to watch the horses grazing at the farm next door.
“The school has changed a lot… the road in front of Calgary Academy was gravel, and there were trees, fences, and country surrounding us—not the communities that are around now.” – Dani
But things weren’t always as idyllic as that sounds. Like many students around the world, Dani encountered challenging peer dynamics that affected her mental well‑being.
Dani credits her teachers as being kind, understanding, and encouraging. It was their support and her hard work that propelled her to graduate with honours. Her experiences gave her the confidence to speak up and to take on the work that is now her passion.
Helping Her Family Help Others
Today, Dani works at her family’s foundation, the Hunter Family Foundation, which was founded in 1984. The foundation has a rich history in Calgary, including its support for entrepreneurial thinking at the University of Calgary.
She got her start at the foundation when she offered her family some advice on managing their documentation and organizational processes (which Dani had plenty of experience in from other jobs she had held). They decided then and there to have her function as the foundation’s Executive Assistant.
Her day-to-day duties include many administrative tasks, such as answering funding requests, but Dani has taken a more active role in the foundation for the past five years. One of the Hunter Family Foundation’s focuses is on health and wellness, especially mental health.
“Five years ago, we decided to be more active in the mental health area. That’s when I said I wanted to be actively involved in decision-making where the money goes—talking to charities and doing tours because of my lived experiences.” – Dani
Dani loves seeing the impact they make in people’s daily lives, whether it’s supporting seniors through the Kerby Centre, donating to Converge Mental Health Coalition, or their work with the Impact Society, which teaches youth resilience.
She has read letters telling the tales of individual lives her family has helped improve. To her, those letters are more precious than any statistic—she knows the impact proper mental health support can have.
When Dani looks to the future, she is excited to see how the Hunter Family Foundation can continue to help Canadians.
“My family could afford private therapy, and I can still afford it. Thinking about people who can’t afford it and people who are bounced around before they find the right kind of help… We want to change that highway for others so that help comes sooner.”