Inspired by her alumnus uncle, student Anna Hurnanen developed her leadership skills as a Hart House undergrad ambassador

Faculty of Arts & Science student Anna Hurnanen says becoming a Hart House student ambassador has been a highlight of her time at U of T because it taught her exceptional leadership skills.

Hurnanen’s uncle, a University of Toronto alum who graduated in the 1990s, is a dedicated super fan of Hart House. He shared this enthusiasm with his niece as early as her first weeks in higher education. Four years later, Anna has clearly found her second home at Hart House, just like her uncle.

The Innis College student majoring in German Studies was instantly attracted to Hart House Theatre. “This was a draw. I went on a tour, saw the backstage and signed up for a volunteer newsletter,” she explains. “You could say I joined Hart House through the Theatre.” 

Next, she volunteered at the 519 Sports Day. This event is co-hosted by Hart House, The 519 Community Centre and the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education’s Sport & Rec division. “It sounded like a really great event, working outside, playing sports all day and meeting many people.” 

One meeting that day proved to be fateful. “That's where I met the Hart House staff, Danielle Dinunzio, manager, access and strategic initiatives; and Alphonse Daniel, program associate, community access & outreach. They told me they were looking to hire ambassadors for the upcoming school year. So, I applied.” 

Continuing her uncle's legacy

That successful application cemented Anna’s lengthy and ongoing relationship with Hart House, continuing her uncle's legacy.

Anna has thoroughly enjoyed the ambassadorship. “As ambassadors, we're the connection between the student body and Hart House. We run a lot of different student events and inform people about Hart House,” she begins. 

Being an ambassador also taught her vital skills – primarily, leadership. “A big part of the development of leadership skills is just practice, getting an opportunity to be more comfortable with yourself and your decisions, and being able to work with a group of people. Hart House has consistently placed me in a position of leading workshops and activities. Over time, this has made me so much more comfortable leading groups, developing those leadership skills.”

Anna also cherished her work in the Theatre. She volunteered for The Gray – A Wilde Musical in Concert, which became then-student Anthony Palermo’s 2023 musical phenomenon at Hart House Theatre. 

“I was immediately taken in. I thought this is wonderful and I want to be part of this in any way I can,” she recalls. She became a production assistant and helped the lighting design crew. “It was amazing. I got to see behind the scenes. I just loved it.”

As soon as she got home from opening night, she bought a ticket for the very next night – the production was that good. She loved the fact that the whole production was student run.

Finnish exchange provided a chance to connect with her roots

Anna additionally participated in the Hart House Finnish Exchange ‒ the oldest non-academic exchange in this country. This is a cultural work exchange program between Helsinki-area universities and University of Toronto. It provided another family connection, you could say: Anna’s grandparents were Finnish. 

She went to Finland for three months last summer. “It was a really interesting experience to assimilate myself with the community.”

Her background in competitive swimming was a natural bridge. She worked with Espoon Latu ja Polku, a neighborhood recreation group, and assisted with the development of their open water program. “It was their first summer offering as part of their recreational program. I would take swimmers who were new to open water, help them to safely swim around a small lake. I also joined an open water group of my own, Open Water Experience Finland, which is for experienced swimmers.

“I met a lot of Finnish people through the program and explored many areas in Finland. It's the land of 1,000 lakes. They have so many little lakes to explore and the sea is beautiful […] Swimming around islands is something I never thought I'd do, but it was really fun.”

Triathlon with her uncles

In keeping with Anna’s competitive swimming passion, Anna participated in the Hart House Student Recreational Athletics & Wellness Committee Indoor Triathlon alongside two of her uncles (one of them the alumnus). This popular annual event consists of three 15-minute intervals where participants swim, ride on stationary bikes and run laps around a track.

This was a first for Anna. “We competed as a team. It was such a fun event.”

Anna has explored many facets of Hart House. She says, “Hart House is a home on campus. It's like our community centre. It’s where you go to find community. Whatever your interests are, you're going to find something. You can find belonging. It's a great network.”

For students thinking of looking into Hart House, she urges them to follow their interests, find out what it has to offer. “You have interests and Hart House probably has something that fits your interests. Let yourself explore everything. I started in Theatre, but now I've done sports, judo, crafts, workshops … I've done so many things. And it all started just because I was interested in the Theatre!” 

Originally published by Hart House