Summer Balfanz

A Roseville, Minnesota resident, Summer Balfanz attends high school and volunteers with community outreach organizations that promote health and well-being. As a Minnesotans for a Smoke Free Generation student coalition member, she exerts influence at the state level, advocating for mental heath support and stricter laws against smoking, vaping, and flavored tobacco. Summer Balfanz has undertaken lobbying in the state legislature and also helped organize local educational and awareness efforts.

An accomplished public presenter, Ms. Balfanz earned the Best First-Year Teammate award as a Speech Team member and achieved first place in the 2023 Star Tribune Eastview Lightning Classic Speech Meet. She took part in a Capitals of Scandinavia tour with fellow students and had the opportunity to visit the University of Oslo campus. Ms. Balfanz has also had the chance to explore academic settings such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University.

Summer Balfanz excels at writing and enjoys reading various genres, from classic French literature to memoirs and autobiographies. She is a music enthusiast who gravitates toward singer-songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Sinead O’Connor, as well as the classic indie group The Replacements.