Hunter attended Monmouth College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in government. She also earned a master’s degree in sociology from Jackson State University in Mississippi. She additionally holds a Doctor of Humane Letters from Monmouth College during the 2008 Spring Commencement where she was the keynote speaker. Hunter is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor and prevention specialist in Illinois and Indiana.

Hunter served for years as vice president of Human Resources Development Institut Inc., where she developed and managed programs focusing on abused women and children, behavioral health, youth and ex-offenders. Hunter served abroad as managing director for the Center for Health and Human Services in Johannesburg, South Africa, and coordinated U.S. State Department Demand Reduction Workshops addressing substance abuse situations in South Africa.

In 2006, Hunter was appointed a Lifetime Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and named Legislator of the Year by numerous organizations in the fields of health care, youth, child welfare and education.

Hunter is an active member of various organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (Theta Omega Chapter), Central Credit Union of Illinois board of directors and the Health Policy Institute’s National Advisory Committee of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

During her tenure as state senator, Hunter has established several boards and commissions and helped pass over 200 bills regarding breast cancer, childhood vaccines, environmental issues and education.