
Past:State Representative—District 39
Sara-Summer Oliphant was raised in the South Hills of Pittsburgh – the daughter of a Bethel Park principal and a child development professor at the University of Pittsburgh. She was fortunate to hail from a large family, being the third of six children. Sara-Summer graduated from Mt. Lebanon in 1996 before continuing her education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa as a scholarship athlete. After experiencing health issues, Sara-Summer took time off of school, eventually landing back in Pittsburgh at Point Park University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications.
While attending Point Park, Sara-Summer met her husband, Joe. Joe currently works as a principal at a local Catholic high school. They are the proud parents of five busy and beautiful children, two dogs, two cats, and foster kittens.
Sara-Summer has made motherhood her full-time career while working a variety of part-time jobs to help support her family. These have included work as a freelance writer for multiple publications, Build-a-Bear Workshop, and secretarial work. These jobs have allowed her to champion a variety of causes.
In 2010 and 2015, Sara-Summer went bald with St. Baldrick’s. St. Baldrick’s Foundation raises money for pediatric cancer research by collecting pledges from participants who shave their heads. Additionally, in 2011, Sara-Summer helped organize a memorial run for a local mom killed by a driver under the influence.
Sara-Summer has served on the South Park Metro basketball board, volunteers for Pittsburgh CAT, is active in the PTO, participates yearly as a family in Amen to Action packing meals for the homeless, and is a proud member of VFW Post 6664.