Prior to her tenure as lieutenant governor, she was a teacher for 37 years.
In his memoir, Ventura mentioned that he chose her to "balance out all the testosterone."
During her term in office, she visited schools throughout the state and frequently read to students as part of her efforts to encourage literacy and appreciation for reading among young people.
In the 2000 presidential campaign, as polls showed Texas Governor George W. Bush and U.S. Vice President Al Gore tied in Minnesota within 2 weeks of Election Day, Schunk endorsed Gore at a rally held on Nicollet Avenue in downtown Minneapolis while Ventura committed himself to a third-party candidate, John Hagelin.
Later, in an interview with CNN, Ventura commented that Schunk had asked him before making the endorsement and that he had consented to her decision.