Published May 14, 2024

WCS middle and high school students are getting a hands-on lesson about politics through the Youth in Government Conferences this spring.

The annual events give middle and high school students around Tennessee an inside look at the political process and the opportunity to become government officials for the day. Students create and debate bills with their peers while serving as representatives, senators, lawyers, lobbyists and more.

Brentwood High's Ariana Martin, Franklin High's Rinaz Jamal, Nolensville High's Michael Tadrous and Ravenwood High's Rami Ammar all received invitations to the YMCA Conference on National Affairs (CONA), the highest honor a student can earn.

Franklin High's Lea Adams and Shira Binshtin received the Outstanding Brief award; Nolensville High's Michael Calaveri and Samuel McCarthy received the Outstanding Attorney Team award; and Ravenwood High's Ajay Balaje and Niloy Mazumdar were recognized as an Outstanding Attorney team.

Many students were also elected to officer positions, such as Chief Clerks, Floor Leaders and Chief Justice. Additionally, students received awards such as Outstanding Delegate and Outstanding Bill.

At the middle school level, students also competed to earn the Outstanding Delegate and Outstanding Bill distinctions. 

The students who were honored at the conferences are listed below by school:

Outstanding Delegate

• Anna Esbenshade
• Audrey Yu
• Averly Nielson
• Ben Rencher
• Hannah Hollings
• Jack Faison
• John Choi
• Michele Vincent
• Ryan Gardocki
• Yash Gupta

Outstanding Bill

• Anna Esbenshade and Averly Nielson
• Hailey Robb and Michele Vincent

Youth in Government Officers

• Ariana Martin - Floor Leader of the Red House
• Ava Rice - Speaker Pro Temp of the Blue House
• Ivy Allen - Blue Lieutenant Governor
• Rishika Challa - Chief Clerk of the Red House

YMCA Conference on National Affairs - Delegates

• Ariana Martin
• Ava Rice - Alternate

Outstanding Delegate

• Rosalie Mobley

Outstanding Bill

• Amelia Henson and Josie McPherson

Outstanding Delegate

• Andrew Murphy
• Ruby Hatley
• Ryan Marina
• Visagan Saravanan
• Wyatt Doyle

Outstanding Bill

• Becca Sharman
• Julia Pahos and Erin McDermott
• Maya Gemignani and Madison Elliot
• Paige Leusink and Kelly Slade

Youth in Government Officers

• Evelyn Wang - Chief Clerk of the White House
• Rinaz Jamal - Speaker of the Blue House

YMCA Conference on National Affairs - Delegates

• Rinaz Jamal

Court Awards

• Lea Adams and Shira Binshtin, Outstanding Brief

Youth in Government Officers

• Marlie Disch - Chief Clerk of the White House

Outstanding Delegate

• Allison Rigdon
• Ava Morales
• Elgin Lenoy
• Iniyan Rajkumar
• Jacob Cunningham
• Janie Lee
• Jonathan Okokhere
• Jones Moynihan
• Molly Hackett
• Samuel Bacigalupo

Outstanding Bill

• Amritha Renjith Aswathy and Tina Manoj
• Charles Jarrell, Sarah Voss and McKnight Lassiter
• Clark Jenkins and Charles Twerdahl
• Elgin Lenoy, Janie Lee and Molly Hackett
• Jonathan Okokhere, Nathan Blackwell and Jason Lim
• Madison Lockhart, Shristika Giripragada and Elaina Trombley
• Maggie Madden and Jones Moynihan
• Sean Vornhagen and Olivia Sturtevant
• Vinceson Nguyen and Jacob Cunningham

Youth in Government Officers

• Medhini Rajkumar - Red Lieutenant Governor
• Samra Mekonnen - Chief Clerk of the Blue House

Conference on National Affairs - Delegates

• Michael Tadrous

Court Awards

• Michael Cavaleri and Samuel McCarthy, Outstanding Attorney Team

Outstanding Delegate

• Aarnav Mrida Varanasi
• Prajeeth Rajaram

Outstanding Bill

• Evan Ingmire, Riley Osburn and Aarnav Mrida Varanasi

Youth in Government Officers

• Saraah Zaheer - Speaker of the White House

YMCA Conference on National Affairs - Delegates

• Aarnav Mrida Varnasi - Alternate
• Saraah Zaheer - Alternate

Outstanding Delegate

• Aarnav Khanna
• Aryan Chaitanya
• Atharv Mehendale
• Darsh Shrivastava
• Evan Daruwalla
• Evan Hostetler
• Gwen Moser
• Ishitha Nakka
• Johan Gigme
• John Paul Kukulka
• Lillyanne Smith
• Malvika Rao
• Mehr Malhotra
• Runhe Gu
• Sonia Kripalani
• Steven Fedorov
• Udhikaman Syal
• Varshini Mohanasekaran

Outstanding Bill

• Aryan Chaitanya
• Ashley Kalvala and Savannah Poynter
• Darsh Shrivastava and Atharv Mehendale
• Evan Hostetler and Alexa Williams
• Harshita Nallaka, Gwen Moser and Varshini Mohanasekaran
• John Paul Kukulka, Aarnav Khanna and Luke Sanders
• Kaarunya Kaki, Aneesh Chepuri and Aarush Jawale
• Katelyn Green and Sonia Kripalani
• Ruhee Gupta, Meghana Sappidi and Lillyanne Smith
• Santiago Lopez-Peon, Dhruv Upadhye and Luke Patel
• Yug Patel and Yash Deorah

Youth in Government Officers

• Manushri Kalasikam - Attorney General
• Chetan Yenigalla - Floor Leader of the Blue House
• Krish Himatsingani - Floor Leader of the Blue Senate
• Riya Koranne - Head Lobbyist
• Stephie Lee - Red Chief Engrossing Clerk
• Rami Ammar - Red Lieutenant Governor
• Oluwaseyi Amosun - Solicitor General
• Claire Moser - Speaker Pro Temp of the White House
• Chloe Lee - White and Blue Chief Engrossing Clerk

Conference on National Affairs - Delegates

• Rami Ammar
• Krish Himatsingani - Alternate
• Riya Koranne - Alternate

Court Awards

• Ajay Balaje and Niloy Mazumdar, Outstanding Attorney Team

Outstanding Delegate

• Denise Erdemir
• Kaila Pierce
• Mia Murgas

Youth in Government Officers

• Caroline Constantine - Floor Leader of the Blue Senate

Conference on National Affairs - Alternate

• Caroline Constantine

Outstanding Delegate

• Gavin Nielson
• Jubin Park
• Brian Hong

Outstanding Bill

• Gavin Nielson
• Rio Sebert
• Davis Baugh
• Ayan Shah
• Mohina Malhotra
• Caroline Rogers
• Addie Hutcheson

Outstanding Delegate

• George Altman
• Hayes Duke
• Aidan Ogles
• Charlie Creech
• Benjamin Rader
• Elliot Rosenbaum

Outstanding Bill 

• Aidan Ogles, Bennett Joyce, George Altman and Hayes Duke
• Elliott Rosenbaum

Outstanding Delegate

• Adelaide Learned

Outstanding Bill 

• Hannah Fox
• Lyanna Ward
• Adelaide Learned
• Kelleher Blasek
• Ethan Hutchison
• Jake Grugett
• Max Penix
• Landon Brown

Outstanding Delegate 

• Irene Angelopoulos
• Ingrid Shonnard
• Kenzie Roberge
• Natalie Rodgers

Outstanding Bill

• Emmy Woodard, Brielle Gregory, Ruby Gleason and Annie Cravens
• Abby Chadwick, Zoe Little, Natalie Rodgers and Maddie Maybury

Outstanding Delegate

• Ansley Alberico
• Aarya Rangani
• Ana Sardesai
• Rian John
• Reyna Lalani
• Chase Shields
• Nikhil Vellalachrvu
• Srinithi Narayanan
• Aasim Mohamed
• Hetvi Dandeboina
• Jayatsena Koya

Outstanding Bill

• Ashrita Raj and Shrestha Panchanam
• Ana Sardesai and Anika Banerjee
• Reyna Lalani and Srihitha Allu
• Faiza Mohamed and Srinithi Narayanan
• Aarushi Moturi and Safa Mulla
• Hetvi Dandeboina and Jayatsena Koya
• Tanya Naresh and Vibha Kashyap

Outstanding Delegate

• Lauren Raischel
• Deepika Balamurugan
• Arya Kumar
• Parker Woolery
• Hea Ashar
• Maria Gigme

Outstanding Bill

• Lauren Raischel
• Emmy Elliott
• Nirvana Naidu
• Deepika Balamurugan
• Birol Celep
• Hea Ashar
• Maria Gigme
• Dia Kabaria
• Gnanadatta Rambha
• Arnav Pratheesh

Outstanding Delegate

• Emme Fox
• Abby Farmer
• Ayran Crayton

Outstanding Bill

• Abby Farmer
• Emme Fox
• Ava McAfee

Outstanding Delegate

• Kavan Desai
• Tradd Midgett
• Hrishikesh Prabhu
• Kushal Munjeti
• Mikaelus Larkin
• Lakshanya Rajesh
• Tanaya Sreedharan
• Deekshitha Balaji
• Aanya Dhawan
• Dhiya Sakthi
• Vansh Misra

Outstanding Bill

• Kavan Desai
• Ojas Debadwar
• Srikarthik Velugula
• Manvitha Marepally
• Manasvi Butte
• Michelle Lee
• Tanvi Vangala
• Aubrie Dunlea
• Suri Dhanani
• Lakshanya Rajesh
• Dhiya Sakthi
• Tanaya Sreedharan
• Ethan Chen
• Jason Tran
• Abhinav Pagadala