FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. (July 8, 2026) — Students from Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) earned six national championships and 40 top 10 finishes at the 2026 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference in San Antonio, Texas, placing the district among the nation's top performers in business, technology, leadership, entrepreneurship, and finance competitions.
The FBLA National Leadership Conference is the organization's premier annual event, bringing together thousands of the nation's most accomplished student leaders to compete in workforce-simulated events. FBLA describes the conference as an opportunity for the "best and brightest" students to showcase their talents while preparing for future careers.
"These students competed against some of the most talented young leaders in the country and delivered extraordinary results," said Superintendent Van Ayres. "Their success reflects the dedication of our students, the support of their families, and the exceptional educators who challenge them to excel. We are proud to see so many HCPS students earning national recognition for their hard work, creativity, and leadership."
HCPS students earned six national titles, including:
Mia Thakore, Farnell Middle School – 1st Place, Slide Deck Applications
Hridansh Deshmukh, Ashir Patel, and Aziz Shakruwala, Steinbrenner High School – 1st Place, Data Analysis
Manasvi Komaragiri, Ayati Kotha, and Renee Qiang, Steinbrenner High School – 1st Place, Hospitality & Event Management
Trishitha Das, Strawberry Crest High School – 1st Place, Organizational Leadership
Aashni Patel, Williams IB Middle Magnet School – 1st Place, Exploring Business Communication
Param Vaishya, Williams IB Magnet Middle School – 1st Place, Exploring Business Concepts
Williams IB Middle Magnet School Leads District Performance
Williams IB Middle Magnet School produced one of the strongest performances in the nation, earning 18 top 10 finishes:
Arjun Vempati – 3rd Place, Exploring Agribusiness
Netra Vairavel, Iniya Velmurugan, and Yalini Velmurugan – 2nd Place, Exploring Animation
Ishanvi Loka – 2nd Place, Exploring Business Communication
Reeyansh Kollisetti – 7th Place, Exploring Business Concepts
Haripreeth Saireddy – 6th Place, Exploring Computer Science
Keerthi Pehtah Arun – 9th Place, Exploring Computer Science
Vikyath Kotagiri – 9th Place, Exploring Economics
Prajna Arveti – 2nd Place, Exploring FBLA
Satya Lanka – 3rd Place, Exploring FBLA
Karthik Meenakshi Sundaram – 6th Place, Exploring FBLA
Srinaath Karthikeyan – 8th Place, Exploring Parliamentary Procedure
Ayan Pandey – 6th Place, Exploring Personal Finance
Aaswin Selvaganapathy – 3rd Place, Exploring Technology
Shouryateja Suddala – 4th Place, Exploring Technology
Devarsh Shah – 2nd Place, Spreadsheet Applications
Adyasha Sahu – 6th Place, Spreadsheet Applications
Additional HCPS Top Finishers:
Alonso High School
Chritopher Akin – 8th Place, Securities & Investments
Robinson High School
Aneesh Sivashankar – 8th Place, Journalism
Strawberry Crest High School
Shreyan Bhukya, Gurusatwik Garbhana, and Subramanya Komarina – 3rd Place, Management Information Systems
Shawn Gnanamani, Susrut Sharma, and Karthikeya Thatikonda – 9th Place, Supply Chain Management
To learn more about HCPS’s FBLA program, visit: symmeselementaryschool.com
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