2024-2025
District 8
Officer Candidate Speeches
Raj Guntuku
District 8 President Candidate
Bhavya Talati
District 8 President Candidate
Bhavya Talati is a dedicated and passionate member of FBLA who joined the organization as a freshman to pursue his interest in business and leadership. Since then, he has made a significant impact on their chapter, founding the FBLA Investment Team, which has grown to over 30 members, and serving on the Crest FBLA Executive Board as the President. Serving as the District 8 Vice President for the 2024-2025 membership year, he was a trailblazer, executing many initiatives such as Pin Trading, chapter development webinars, battle of the chapters, and more. You can see his achievements on his Instagram at @bhavya.fbla.
Beyond his chapter, Bhavya is actively engaged on a national level. He launched an Instagram podcast and started an FBLA account to connect with FBLA members across the country and was featured on regional and national FBLA pages. His efforts include winning the National Treasurer’s Executive Council Finance Frenzy competition and hosting the Future Feats podcast to inspire and inform members. Balancing the rigorous International Baccalaureate program with over 30 hours of weekly FBLA commitments, Bhavya is a role model for dedication and leadership. His vision includes enhancing communication, supporting competitive event preparation, and creating opportunities for growth and recognition within FBLA. With a focus on collaboration and innovation, Bhavya is committed to advancing the goals of FBLA and empowering members to achieve their potential by shaping their reality. For District 8 President, Shape Your Reality with Talati! Keep in touch and learn more about his FBLA journey at @bhavya.fbla!
Hello My name is Sai Rithvik Vemuri. I am currently a sophomore attending Freedom High school. I am running to be the next district 8 Vice President. I joined FBLA in 6th grade and I have been in the club for 5 years now. I am very responsible and hard working and always put in 100% effort into any task.
Sai Rithvik Vemuri
District 8 Vice President Candidate
Prabha Gunturi
District 8 Vice President Candidate
Prabha is a freshman at Strawberry Crest High School in Dover, Florida, and is honored to serve as the District Vice President of FBLA. She currently serves as the 9th-grade Vice President of her local FBLA chapter, where she plays a pivotal role in supporting members by coordinating resources and ensuring the successful submission of competitive event materials. As part of her chapter’s leadership team, she has helped organize championship events, ensuring they run smoothly and efficiently.
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Prabha brings valuable leadership experience from her role as Historian of the National Junior Honor Society, where she spearheaded community initiatives such as food, toy, and book drives. These experiences have honed her skills in teamwork, organization, and effective communication, which she now applies to her FBLA endeavors.
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Beyond her involvement in FBLA, Prabha is an active participant in debate competitions and enjoys expressing her creativity through dancing and playing the violin. She looks forward to using her skills and passion to empower her peers and contribute to the growth of FBLA.
Hi District 8 FBLA! I’m Satya Somalanka, I go by Sahasra, and I’m super excited for you to get to know me! I attend Wharton High School and am in the class of 2026. Currently serving as my chapter’s Co-Vice President, I’ve worked to assist my chapter members by helping them prepare for competitions, navigate challenges, and achieve success. Beyond FBLA, I enjoy reading, writing, and art in my free time. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities FBLA has given me and I can’t wait to achieve great things these coming years!
Satya Somalanka
District 8 Vice President Candidate
Komal Brahmankar
District 8 Secretary Candidate
Komal Brahmankar is a dedicated leader and passionate advocate for student growth and innovation through FBLA. As the Vice President of Strawberry Crest High School’s 10th Grade FBLA chapter and a former District 8 Middle-Level Vice President, Komal has consistently demonstrated her commitment to fostering collaboration, communication, and leadership.
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Her journey with FBLA began at a young age, where she discovered her love for public speaking, organizing, and teamwork. Over the years, she has spearheaded numerous chapter events, including fundraisers such as March of Dimes and Cards for Kindness, and played a key role in expanding membership and planning impactful workshops. Komal’s accolades include representing her chapter at the NLC and SLC conferences.
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Through her platform, SHINE, Komal aims to enhance chapter-wide communication, organize interactive workshops, increase involvement, and create meaningful connections between members and administration. Her vision is to inspire future business leaders by encouraging innovation, fostering teamwork, and building lifelong networks within FBLA.
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As a risk-taker, communicator, and dedicated team member, Komal is excited to serve as FBLA District 8 Secretary and continue her mission of empowering students to achieve the impossible.
Hello District 8 FBLA! My name is Luke Dostal. I’m a junior at Wharton High School, and I’m running to be your next Secretary. During my time in FBLA, I’ve made countless memories, from late-night study sessions with my teammates to doordashing Shake Shack at the National Leadership Conference. FBLA has introduced me to new people and brought me even closer to the friends I already had. I hope that in the District 8 Leadership team, I can ensure that FBLA is a productive place where people can gain experiences that they’ll hold for a lifetime.
Luke Dostal
District 8 Secretary Candidate
Kayla Rodriguez
District 8 Secretary Candidate
A sophomore at Tampa Bay Technical, Kayla Rodriguez is dedicated to FBLA. From the start of her FBLA journey, she has given it everything. She quickly increased by earning the Vice President role at her chapter and District 8 historian in her second year of FBLA. As she embarks on her next year of FBLA, she is dedicated to pouring her soul into ensuring that this district achieves great things!
Sarah Marimon-Franco
District 8 Reporter Candidate
Sarah Marimon-Franco has been a dedicated and active member of FBLA for 3 years. Inspired by her friend’s persuasiveness to join she has gained a fondness for this organization and has found a way to embrace leadership opportunities.
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Sarah’s campaign focuses on 3 goals. Helping smaller less active chapters, improving access to competition recourses and celebrating individual members achievements throughout recognition programs.
Trishitha Das
District 8 Reporter Candidate
Trishitha Das is a sophomore in the International Baccalaureate program at Strawberry Crest High School and she is honored to serve as your District 8 reporter!
Beginning her FBLA journey at Williams Middle Magnet School, the conferences and competitions easily became the highlight of her year. These experiences taught her the importance of going beyond one’s comfort zone and inspired her to create change within her community. Along the way, Trish has formed lifelong friendships with her members, something special that no traditional textbook could provide. Going forward, she hopes to inspire her community to go beyond their comfort zone. She hopes to guide her members through the unknown and foster an encouraging environment for everyone. Outside of FBLA, you can catch her listening to music and going to practice as a competitive gymnast. This year, she is excited to collaborate with everyone to make District 8 more successful than ever before!
I have held office at Liberty Middle School as the Treasurer in the 2020-2021 school year and as one of the Presidents in the 2021-2022 school year. At Freedom High School I have held the role of District and Chapter Historian during the 2022-2023 school year, Historian from 2023-2024, and the current Vice-President in 2024-2025.
In addition to my FBLA officer positions I have also held office as the Treasurer and President of Liberty Middle School’s NJHS chapter. At Freedom High School I have served as the International Thespians' Social Media Representative and Vice President, DECA’s Vice President of Outreach, and Historian of Rho Kappa.
Lauryn O’Neal
District 8 Historian Candidate
My name is Aneesha Mohanty. I have a strong drive for business and the well-fare of this organization. Due to past experiences in FBLA, I thrive for success and know that I can add so much to this organization. Likewise, to many members in FBLA, I love to communicate and can keep an open mind to all things. I have watched FBLA do amazing things for others, and it would be great if I could be a part of the process as well.
Aneesha Mohanty
District 8 Historian Candidate