Congratulations to Dani

In 2013, our founder, Joe Call, offered our practice manager, Dani Dursteler, an opportunity.  Thinking of his upcoming retirement in a few years, Joe realized that there were possible scenarios in which his retirement or potential untimely death or disability could leave Dani without a job.  His solution was to offer Dani that Spinnaker pay for her tuition, fees, and books if she would like to pursue a college degree.  As a full-time employee and mother of two teenagers, the path would be long and hard but would open other employment opportunities if the business were no longer able to employ her. 

BYU-Idaho offered most of their classes in an online format that was flexible enough for her schedule.  To earn a degree Dani would need to take 2 to 3 classes per semester, three semesters per year, for seven years.  In her own words, “Seven years was daunting.  I told myself that seven years from now would come one way or another. I can either earn a degree by then or not.  I wanted to be a good example to my kids of working hard and improving myself. With the financial support of my employer, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”  She got to work on her studies and found time between tasks at work, at nights and on weekends.  College became her side hustle. 

Her first interest was in social work.  Dani has a lot of compassion and loves helping others.  Eventually, her husband, Jared, made an important observation.  He told her, “You have a big heart and will want to adopt all of your clients if you are a social worker.  Our house is not big enough to fit everyone.” Dani’s next thought was that she loved her job and our clients and would like to expand her capabilities to better serve them in the field she already worked in.  Business management with an emphasis in finance became her major. 

Part-time school became a normal part of life for Dani.  Learning how to learn became a challenge as our minds are not used to learning new concepts all the time like we did when we were young.  At times she would count the number of semesters in front of her and feel like they would never end.  But something else was happening at the same time, Dani found that she loved learning.  “College opens up your mind to the whole world and to different possibilities.  It’s not about being smart; it’s about being open-minded,” she told me.

This summer, someday finally came; Dani completed her degree.  Unfortunately, the pomp and circumstance of a proper graduation ceremony were not to be had during a pandemic, but we are all very proud of her accomplishment.  Reflecting on the experience, Dani commented, “the degree is nice, but more importantly, my mind has expanded.  I know how to find answers and think for myself.  I have learned so much more than just the subjects I have studied. I am beyond grateful that our clients have helped me go to college.” She joins her brother as a first-generation college graduate.

As for the future, Dani will be continuing her studies to become a Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional™ through the College For Financial Planning.  This will provide job-specific training to help her expand her role here at Spinnaker Financial Advisors.  As many of you have come to know, Dani loves serving our clients, and she couldn’t imagine a more fulfilling job than helping you achieve your financial and life goals.  We congratulate Dani on achieving one of hers.  Way to go!