Meet the 2019 Candidates for Governor
Arizona
Toni Cord
My name is Tori Cord, and I am running to be Arizona’s next Governor! I started JSA in 2014 definitely say that JSA has been a persistent positive factor in my adolescence. My first convention was Fall State when I was only 13, and my interest grew for the organization. Creating a space where unique teenagers can speak on political issues has helped shape and grow strong students and citizens. Being able to grow with an organization as unique as the Junior State gives me a special perspective on the impact that JSA makes on every involved student.
My platform is specific to the Arizona region and its unique needs. My three points are Expanding to all of the Arizona region, Sustaining current chapter relationships, and Engaging current and new members with intriguing initiatives and ideas. Our region is in a delicate position where any small mistake can lead to detrimental consequences. For the past two years, previous leadership has focused on keeping Arizona afloat. I believe that in the next year if we can organize our goals and cabinet in the right direction we can become a more fruitful and successful state.
Mid-Atlantic
Christian Pecoraro
I am a junior at Biotechnology High School in Freehold, New Jersey, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Admittedly, at times it can be difficult, but the relationships I have made will last the rest of my life, and that truly makes up for the stress. I joined JSA my freshman year, mostly because my friends were doing it, and a friend of mine who was already a member had convinced me to join. I actually didn’t attend conference until Winter Con of that year, but by then I had already fallen in love with the organization. JSA has become a major part of my life over the last three years, but I have many other interests as well. I have a longstanding love for soccer, and have been playing since I was 4 years old. In my opinion, Manchester United is by far the best team in the Premier League, but if you disagree, I’d love to have a “friendly” discussion on the matter. I also have a huge appreciation for music, and it has become a major part of my day-to-day life. My father, whom I credit to establishing my passion for music, plays the drums, and got me started when I was very young. Shortly after, I started playing the alto saxophone, and enjoyed playing jazz music. Nowadays I mostly just listen, and my favorite genre by far is R&B. My favorite artist is Bryson Tiller and I can sing every word to every single one of his songs, not that anyone would want me to. But, Drake and 6lack come very close, and their music I can listen to for hours on end.
At the core of my campaign lies the question, why am I running for governor? In order to answer that, I needed to dig deep into what JSA means and why it matters. JSA is an organization that inspires teens like you and I to be politically involved, challenging the status quo with debates, activism, and civic engagement. However, JSA doesn't just stop there, and I quickly realized that. There have been opportunities presented to me that I never would have had if it wasn’t for this organization. Joining JSA was arguably one of the most impactful decisions of my life. Through my career in JSA from a CIA Agent to the Gubernatorial Chief of Staff, I have learned about every nook and cranny of the MAS, I have been through the good and the bad, and I have seen the change it inspires. I want to elevate the MAS to incredible heights never seen before, and give every delegate the same opportunities I have had. This right here is exactly why I decided to run for MAS Governor.
Instagram: instagram.com/pecforgov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pecforgov/
Olivia Fox
My name is Olivia Fox, a junior at Secaucus High School and I am running to be the next Mid-Atlantic State Governor! Going into high school, I was unsure of the path I would end up on. My brother, being a senior while I was a freshman, was my guiding hand for my entire life up to this point and gave me several pieces of advice. The first thing he told me was to join JSA. I had heard his stories and remembered him talking about the amazing conventions and conferences and thought I should give it a shot. My first event was Fall One Day 2016 and what I remember was being absolutely astonished by the amount of intelligence and leadership filling up the halls of Princeton. From there, I went to every conference and convention, my love for the organization growing more and more each time.
Spring State of my freshman year was when I began to see how the student run organization operated, with real political campaigns and platforms being formed. I was inspired by many of the candidates to pursue a greater involvement in this organization and learn more. I applied for the New Jersey Region cabinet and was beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve this region. From there, many upperclassmen encouraged me to pursue a future JSA career as an elected official. I was honored that there were students who saw that potential in me and I had already been thinking of this possibility. Fast forward to this current year and I now serve as the MAS Lieutenant Governor with so much more to achieve.
I want to continue putting smiles on the faces of JSAers and provide the experiences that I received walking into conventions. It is time for me to give back to the organization that gave me so much. I have made life long friendships and this group has helped me grow as a person. I could not have possibly made it this far in both JSA and in high school without all I have learned in JSA. This is my passion and I strive to help those around me. My platform is all about giving the delegates endless opportunities and choices so that we, as a state, can improve. I want all members to feel comfortable expressing their views and discussing whatever they feel. There needs to be a greater sense of collaboration amongst leadership and delegates, which is what I will achieve if elected. The path up to this point has been an exciting journey and there is much more that lay ahead. I am ready to lead the phenomenal Mid Atlantic into more improvement and involvement in the hopes of benefiting all people. The time is now, and I am extremely ready to make the most of it! #fox4gov
Platform link: tinyurl.com/fox4gov
Instagram: @fox4gov
Facebook: Olivia Fox for MAS Governor
Midwest
Litsa Kapsalis
My name is Litsa (LEE-tsa) Kapsalis, and I'm very excited to be running to be the next Midwest governor! I started JSA my freshman year and instantly fell in love; I was welcomed into an environment where I was able to hone my public speaking skills, broaden my perspectives in argumentation, and become educated on the most prominent issues, both locally and nationally. Inspired by the passion that I witnessed in my older peers, I began serving on Midwest Cabinet my sophomore year as a Debate Agent. Working on Cabinet was a pivotal experience and it confirmed my dedication to our organization. Additionally, I served as an FEC agent which gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of the JSA election cycle. I also was part of the MidSoHio Winter Congress Cabinet as Midwest Bill Director. This was my first exposure to multistate leadership and it allowed me to work with Chapter Presidents, delegates, as well as leaders from other states to craft the best convention experience possible. Moreover, I have been my Chapter's president for the past two years, which has given me an understanding of the needs and challenges of leading on the Chapter level. This year, I was part of Congress Cabinet again as the MORV Winter Congress Convention Bill Director and I am honored to be serving as the current National Director of Debate. I am lucky enough to have experienced JSA leadership at all levels, and I will translate this into leading the Midwest if elected.
I am running for Midwest Governor because I truly believe in JSA. It is truly unique and powerful to be part of such a robust student-run organization. The countless hours that my peers put into running and participating in JSA speak volumes to the competence of our generation and to the underestimated abilities of youth as a whole. Thus, I am inspired to run for governor because I would like to improve the civic education and engagement that our organization provides, and I want to give back to the community that has given me so much and defined who I am. If elected governor, I would pursue a greater connection between chapters and cabinet by publicizing chapter activity on the state level and making agents and other resources more accessible to chapter presidents. If elected, I also would seek to bring chapters closer with each other by pairing them up at conventions to have a meal together in what I call the "Chapter Partner Project," in order to facilitate friendships between delegates who may not otherwise converse. I would also implement virtual participation in Chap Cons for geographically isolated chapters. Furthermore, I would help chapters increase their community involvement and activism initiatives and seek out press coverage for JSA events to increase the name of our organization. Moreover, I would like to improve debate quality within the Midwest by emphasizing chapter input on convention resolutions and instituting a fact-check hotline that delegates can call into during debate blocks. Overall, I want to bring the Midwest closer together by bringing together the state leadership, the chapters, and the community.
Please reach out if you have any questions or if you would like to chat!
Instagram: @litsaforgov
Facebook: facebook.com/litsaforgov/
Website: litsaforgov.weebly.com
Northern California
Bryan Green
Hello! I'm Bryan Green, and I'm a Junior at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, California. While I spend a lot of my time involved in JSA, that's not all I do. I do a lot of hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting, and I'm currently trying to see all 60 National Parks - I saw nine last year alone, bringing my total up to 21. I also like to do urban exploration and rooftopping, a hobby I picked up Freshman year when I got bored of my town. Other times, I just hang out with my friends, most of whom either do JSA at my school or are friends I made at conventions. Ultimately, however, JSA is pretty integral to my life.
I got into JSA completely by happenstance. If it weren’t for a text from an old friend at 10pm on the Monday before Winter State in 2017, I probably would’ve spent all of high school without JSA. I arrived at Winter State on that Saturday, only to learn that the friend who invited me couldn’t go at the very last minute. So I’m in Sacramento at a convention for an organization that I’ve never been affiliated with in the past, knowing only one person - who was just as new to this as I was. Despite my inexperience, I had an amazing time at Winter State and decided to start a chapter at my school. I got more involved in cabinet last school year, and in August this school year, I started working as the Director of the Chapter Intelligence Agency. I’ve put countless hours into JSA and chapter intelligence work this year - whether it was working with every single chapter president or getting no sleep the night of registration deadline; as I became addicted to watching the numbers roll in on MyJSA. Having to be able to field every conceivable from chapter presidents has prepared me more than anything else could have for leading the Northern California Junior State. I’ve seen a lot and heard a lot, and now I want to take it to the next level and help improve the state as much as possible.
My platform revolves around expansion, publicity, and fundraising. While conventions like this are a huge part of JSA, they can’t be successful without strong chapters and passionate students. The fact is, Chapters are the heart of JSA. Part of my platform is that I want to increase the size of expansion and numbers of chapters; the more student participation, the stronger the organization. By focusing more on expansion and CIA we will be able to provide chapters with more resources and a stronger sense of a community across norcal JSA. Integral to expansion is having a strong scholarship fund; something I’m committed to. This will also improve the quality of conventions and debates as we will able to pull people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, which will increase the diversity of opinions and thought. I want to see great growth for the NorCal State and I am confident that my platform will be most effective at achieving this over the next year.
Links:
https://bryanforgov.weebly.com
@bryan4gov_ on instagram
Hannah Kuhns
My name is Hannah Kuhns, and I'm running to be your Northern California Governor. I am currently a junior at Alameda High. I've been doing JSA since my Freshman year, and since then, I have helped plan and run 6 of the 10 conventions I’ve been to. For the past two years, I've worked in the Convention Department under the Governor. I, as well as the other 17 members of my department essentially plan each of the three main conventions. I also am responsible for managing the Debate and Logistics departments, and working before and during each convention to make sure that every event is successful. I honestly can't think of a better feeling than seeing everything come together at conventions, and seeing the hard work of not only my department, but every department who contributed something to make the convention happen.
Simply put, I decided to run for Governor because I love JSA. I think I have the unique experience, capability, and fierce dedication required to be Governor. My leadership experience combined with my love for everyone in the organization are two of the driving forces behind me running. I see myself as a fair and approachable leader, a committed delegate, and because of this, the best candidate.
My platform is focused around compromise, inclusivity, and strength.
I place value on kindness and tolerance in all of my efforts— especially regarding leadership and working with others. I believe that a leader is strong and dedicated, but, most of all, is compassionate and willing to listen and compromise with their peers.
The surest way to make NorCal a more inclusive state is to provide opportunity. My plan for next year includes providing as much opportunity and encouragement to delegates from underrepresented regions to apply to cabinet. In order to strengthen representation from all regions, I want Expansion deputies and CIA agents to work in their own regions. By assigning deputies and agents to their chapter’s regions, we would have delegates from traditionally underrepresented regions doing work to strengthen and expand their own region.
One of the most important responsibilities of the Governor is building a foundation for the next year. I plan to do this by continuing and further developing the New Leaders convention and striving to have at least two delegates from every chapter attend. I would also make efforts to have more underclassmen serve on year round cabinet, mid-year cabinet, and Winter State cabinet, as these are great ways to get involved while also creating a strong base of underclassmen to ensure that JSA has competent and experienced leaders in the years to come.
https://hannahforgov.weebly.com/
Northeast
Daniel Song
Hi everyone, I am running for Governor of the Northeast State. I'm a junior at Wellesley High School and I have been in JSA since freshman year. The first JSA meeting I attended was the week after Fall State 2016 and I overheard many members of my chapter reflecting upon the highlights of the past weekend. I began attending Debate and JSA Club regularly and when Winter Congress signups opened, I decided to discover what JSA meant for myself. I quickly got to know the members of my chapter who attended Winter Congress that year and we developed close relationships with each other. As a freshman at my first JSA convention, however, I was pretty confused about who the elected officials were, what cabinet was, and how Winter Congress was organized. Later that year, various upperclassmen in my chapter recognized my potential for leadership and encouraged me to apply for cabinet. Without a strong chapter infrastructure supporting me from the beginning of my JSA career, I would not be a candidate today.
Although I wanted to be a regional Director of Debate, the NER Mayor appointed me as Co-Director of Communications and Chapter Conferences along with Rebecca Eneyni. I quickly grew to love my role and built lasting relationships with other members of regional cabinet. By the end of that year, I developed even higher aspirations and successfully applied for NES Convention Coordinator, which has accompanied a wide range of responsibilities. As a result of my combined experiences as a delegate and as a member of cabinet, I have made the decision to run for Governor. Ever since I attended Winter Congress my freshman year, I have been highly passionate about JSA and have sought to experience all that JSA has to offer. In addition to applying for cabinet, I have been a staff writer for the NES online publication The Patriot for two years, where I have contributed seven original pieces. This past summer, I attended JSA's summer program at Georgetown University, where I improved my debate skills and took AP Comparative Government classes. There, I met many JSA leaders across the country, from the Mid-Atlantic State, to Northern and Southern California, to the US Virgin Islands, many of whom I still keep in touch with today.
I am running on a platform of greater inclusivity and engagement. The five pillars of my campaign are Improving Conventions, Increasing Attendance, Promoting Inclusivity, Strengthening Chapters, and Expanding Presence. Together, they comprise a comprehensive approach to allowing our state to reach new heights. As Governor, my first objective will be to ensure that everyone has access to cabinet applications. I attribute much of my success within JSA to the strong foundation of my chapter which informed me and encouraged me in applying for cabinet, but I understand that many other chapters may not have those same resources. Chapters without regional or state cabinet members are at a disadvantage and will be less motivated to participate in JSA, which is why immediately upon my election, I will work to release applications as early as possible and promote them through chapter presidents. The rest of my platform can be found here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S5mzXhaUNLR_RQqne3IaOJslyMwl1hNZZe-dor4UoOM/edit?usp=sharing
I hope to see all of you at your regional Spring One Day and at Spring State!
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/song4gov/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/song4gov/
Kavya Desikan
My name is Kavya Desikan and I am a junior at Westford Academy. I have been in JSA since my freshman year and fell in love with the organization's message of student empowerment in a day and age where we are often silenced due to our age. I want to be your next Northeast State governor because I have many ideas about how we as a state can ensure a long and prosperous future for JSAers for years to come. In my past three years in JSA, I have been given the opportunity to wear many hats to help out the NES and pursue my passions in social and political activism.
My goal as governor is to ensure that other students get the same opportunity to fall in love with JSA I had, which I will work towards by strengthening departments that are vital to ensuring that experience. Strengthening departments like Chapter Internal Affairs which are key to strong chapters and providing new resources for chapters via the Publicity department and Media department will also give chapter the tools to expand and get recognition.
Along with strengthening chapters, the building blocks of our state, I plan on expanding cabinet and emphasizing the amazing opportunities JSA has to offer for all of its members, be it Summer Programs, leadership summits, or cabinet. If elected, my goal for the year ahead is a stronger and more well-rounded NES. You can read more about my platform on my Facebook and Instagram, both of which are @KavyaForGov.
Ohio River Valley
Melinda Xia
Hello everyone! My name is Melinda Xia, and I'm running to be your next ORV Governor. Upon joining JSA my freshman year, I simply thought I was joining a debate club. It was not long before I realized this was not the case. JSA is more than just a club or organization to me: it is home. It's the community in which I have found some of my closest friends, as well as those I look up to most. JSA has not only taught me the importance of greater political engagement, but it has also taught me what defines a true leader, and a true statesman. I have learned so much from my time in JSA, and I would like to now set forth my passion and experience in serving as our region's next governor.
If elected, I will prioritize providing a voice for every single delegate. The three main components of my platform are: Accessibility, Connectivity, and Transparency. I will ensure that Cabinet and myself are accessible to all delegates, and that feedback may be given and utilized with transparency.
- IG: @melindaforgov
- campaign video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UqYLDCbU1ad83gN7qFs_5qpjryLPrPGY/view?usp=sharing
Sara Alsammerai
Hi, JSAers! My name is Sara Alsammerai and I am ecstatic to say that I am running to become the next Governor of the Ohio River Valley. My candidacy has been a process which has been a long time coming: I joined JSA my freshman year, and at my first ever Fall State I knew this organization would become another home for me. That being said, I joined Cabinet as a freshman by applying as a midyear specialist for the Department of Convention. I loved being on Cabinet and being so involved, I came back the next year as the Co-Convention Coordinator and again this year as your sole Convention Coordinator. My sophomore year of JSA was blissful: I made more friends at conventions, I was on SuperCabinet for Winter Congress, I graduated and spoke at Montezuma, and I made JSA a priority. I gave my all into every position and opportunity which was handed to me, and I continued to do so throughout this year.
My passion for JSA became the primary reason I decided to run for Governor. I have seen the way JSA has impacted my personal life, work ethic, and goal setting, and I want to see it impact other delegates in the same positive manner. The ultimate decision to run for Governor didn’t come on a whim to me: it took time to process that I could be leading this state next year. I would be the deciding factor on most initiatives and ensure that said initiatives were started. Knowing how much more involvement I could have in the Junior State as Governor only proved to me how much I needed to run for this position. My platform and my campaign in itself are the integral parts of why I am running: to showcase that I am fully immersed in giving back to this organization and seeing it thrive as has allowed me to be so passionately moved.
My platform, which can be found on my website, begins by creating our ideal Cabinet with a national emphasis for every delegate. I hope that if elected next year, my platform is able to pave the way which allows delegates of the Ohio River Valley state to immerse themselves in JSA. With initiatives added on to nearly every Department of Cabinet, and more national points to ensure the entire organization is moving successfully, it is my platform which promises every delegate the opportunity to be involved in JSA.
Thank you for your time, and I hope to see your continuous support on my journey to becoming your future Governor.
Website: https://salsammerai.wixsite.com/orvweareone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara4governor/
Twitter: @sara4gov, Instagram: @sara4gov
Pacific Northwest
Avinash Naidu
Hey JSA! My name is Avinash Naidu and I am running to be the next Pacific Northwest Governor. I am a junior at Interlake Highschool in Bellevue, WA and the PNW Assistant Director of Expansion this year. I got started in JSA because of my passion for politics and stayed because of how JSA brought out the best in people. I decided to run for JSA office in order to give back to this organization which has provided so much to me. Thanks to JSA I have unearthed my passion for politics and activism, developed countless leadership skills, and met some of the best people I know. I want to give back to JSA by working my hardest to ensure that this organization I love thrives next year. I have seen many issues during my time in JSA and believe that I have the capability, ideas, and work ethic to combat these issues and elevate my state to new heights.
My platform has ideas and initiatives for every department on our cabinet along with ideas for the everyday delegate and their convention experience. I have organized my platform into signature points which are some bigger goals I want to implement, overcoming the challenges within our state, nurturing growth, embracing change, and national initiatives. I hope to be able to implement my platform to resolve issues in our state, but also bring new initiatives to strengthen each aspect of JSA in the PNW
https://www.facebook.com/avinash4pnwgov/
https://avinash4pnwgov.wixsite.com/foranewstate
https://www.instagram.com/avinash4pnwgov/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OLVJcU2uou1G2ND4y408rTxJq5nZPYui/view?usp=drivesdk
Video: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/QgrcJHrnsbKcnrkrHSblvfThxtMPpqTDwMq?projector=1
Southeast
Brian Carlos
Brian Carlos got his start in politics by becoming passionate about the issues addressed in his middle school civics class, and fell in love with the art of debate with JSA during his freshman year. In addition to his current position as the Southeast’s Lieutenant Governor, Brian is the President of MAST Academy’s JSA chapter and was the SES Director of Summer School as a sophomore. Outside JSA, he has shown his leadership merits through work on congressional campaigns and through Model UN, of which he is also the president of his school’s chapter. He credits much of the person he is today to JSA and the experiences affiliated with it, including Summer School at both Princeton and Georgetown as well as the 2018 Montezuma Leadership Summit. Brian is grateful to have the opportunity to make such a large impact with an organization that fights political apathy, and hopes to earn your vote for Governor at this Spring State.
Sydney Edwards
Hello JSA! My name is Sydney Edwards and I am running to be your next Southeast governor for the 2019-2020 school year. I am currently a junior and serve as the Southeast Director of Debate. I first got involved in JSA as a freshman. As soon as I saw the booth at club fair, I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of the organization. I had debated all throughout middle school, and while I knew that JSA would be a fun, new debate organization to be a part of, I didn't know then just how much it would impact me as a student and as a person. When I went on to my first convention as a shy freshman, I saw all of the students on state cabinet and realized that JSA was so much more than just a debate organization -- it allows students to become leaders and activists in their community.
JSA is unique in that it enables students to be a part of something bigger than themselves. It gives high schoolers an outlet to voice their opinions on issues, lets them see both sides of a hot topic, and helps them to grow as people. The fact that JSA is student-led ensures that it helps to breed the future leaders of America in a way that other political and speech organizations simply cannot. This is why JSA is so important to me and it's why I am running for governor. I want to help serve an organization that has helped me so much, not only in becoming a better speaker but in becoming a better person and leader as well. As part of my platform, I want my state to serve the people of JSA. I want to do this by giving the people of the Southeast the resources they need to grow their chapters to further spread JSA's message across the region. Ultimately, if a chapter know how to fundraise, how to connect with students, how to increase its membership, and how to work with admin, it is then able to help the people of the Southeast. My platform seeks to empower students and chapters to be the best they can. If elected, I hope to make cabinet transparent and accessible, much in the same way that the government works for its own constituents. Through my campaign, I have based my message on hard work and service, two attributes that I hope to bring to the Southeast as governor. I look forward to the upcoming campaign season, and I hope that you, the people of the Southeast, grant me the privilege of becoming your next governor.
Social Media:
Instagram: sydneyforsesgov
Website:
https://sciencesleuth23.wixsite.com/sydneyforsesgov
Southern California
Judy Zhang
My name is Judy Zhang, and I am running to be your next SoCal JSA Governor! Currently, I serve as a Chapter President at Palisades Charter High School and am one of the state Directors of Debate. I’ve been a part of the Junior State since freshman year after attending my first Fall State convention. It was there where I understood the uniqueness behind this organization — the fact that this was a place for individuals who genuinely cared. I saw the passion everywhere; within the debate rooms, chapter dinners, and laughters of delegates, JSA has the capacity to bond us all together. It is the home to whose who feel lost. It is the organization that cultivates student activists, speakers, leaders. It changes people, for the better.
There’s this cliche in the Junior State that many people say. “JSA has shaped my high school experience.” But, I’m beyond proud to be a part of this cliche, and say that I have become a better person because of this program. Ultimately, this is the reason behind my decision to run for Governor. The knowledge that you have done something to help change the lives of others in the same way that your own life has been changed is powerful. I want to be able to provide all JSAers with this sense of community, love, and belonging. As such, my platform centers around three key points, which are “Build. Engage. Connect.” I want to build chapters from the ground up by creating a Mentorship Leadership Conference, Regional Chapter Strengthening Directors, and providing more opportunities for Chapter Presidents and those on Chapter Cabinet to feel as if their voices matter. I want to engage JSAers at every single convention, to raise awareness through caucuses such as Women in Power, People of Color, etc. and enhance the activism initiatives that already exist. And finally, I want to connect all delegates on a regional, statewide, and national level through implementing a Humans of SoCal JSA documentary, a National Newsletter, and ensuring that the regional mayors are under the supervision of the Lieutenant Governor to promote maximum productivity. Because at the end of the day, the Junior State would not exist without all the dedication and enthusiasm of its members. It is a student-run organization for a reason. It believes in the willpower of students and the future generation. As such, the role of the Southern California JSA Governor should be to serve the people, the state, the organization, and if elected, I will do my utter best to emulate that.
Links to Campaign Information:
- Instagram: @judyforgov
- Website: www.judyforgovernor.com
- Email: jzhang@socal.jsa.org
Texas
Lucy Ding
Hey y’all! I’m Lucy Ding and I’m running to be your next Texas JSA Governor. My three favorite things in the world are boba, karate, and JSA. But not necessarily in that order. This year I’m the Texas Director of Expansion and the President of the Bellaire chapter. I’ve used both of those positions to get the word out about JSA, grow the organization, and get more people to our amazing conventions.
I became hooked on JSA my freshman year. I joined JSA for the debates, but I stayed for the people. Through JSA, I’ve made amazing friends across Texas and have had my mind changed on issues I thought I had all figured out. As your governor, I will work to make conventions more accessible. Nobody should ever be kept from a convention because of the cost. That’s why I want to create more fundraising opportunities and scholarship re-applications. Also, all the major decisions currently in JSA are made by a group of about ten people. That needs to change! In town halls throughout the year, I hope to get more people involved in the process of convention planning, and more! Together we can get dings done!
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Dingforgov/
Instagram: @dingforgov
Pranav Konduri
Hi! My name is Pranav Konduri and I am currently a junior at St. John's School in Houston, Texas where I serves as the Chapter President for my school's club and the Director of Debate for Texas JSA. I joined my school's JSA chapter as a freshman and attended Fall State. As the only freshman in the chapter, I participated in intra-chapter debates, thought talks, and activism projects growing my love for the organization and politics in general. As a result, I decided to attend JSA Summer School at Georgetown where I learned the fundamentals of the JSA debate formats and the way that conventions are run. Following this experience, I applied to be a member of the Texas JSA Cabinet, where I served as a Debate Agent during my sophomore year. During my time in Cabinet, both as an agent and as the director of the Debate Department, I have welcomed new styles of debate, diversity in resolutions, and the ability for chapters to individually have a say in the convention process. I am running for Governor of Texas JSA because I believe that everyone should have equal opportunities within the organization, regardless of the size of their chapter or position in cabinet.
For this reason, my platform is centered around helping small chapters grow in size and retain membership. I aim to foster an environment that both keeps chapters active during the convention season and in between conventions through the use of regional conventions, inter-chapter debates, and increased communication regarding activism projects. My platform outlines my methods to do so in 3 parts: The Chapter, The Convention, and The Cabinet.
My Instagram with my platform can be accessed with the handle:
@pranavforgov
Yash Pamar
Hey JSA! My name is Yash, and I’m running to be the next Texas JSA Governor! Since joining JSA, I’ve had the honor of attending every convention from my freshman year on and have loved every one of them. As the years have gone by, my role within the organization has expanded along with my desire to make JSA its best. I’ve served as Deputy Director of Logistics, the VP for my chapter, and now, the Convention Coordinator. Through these roles, I’ve had the opportunity to organize quiz bowl, count ballots, run pre-con, create convention agendas, and make countless memories and friendships that I cherish today. I want to continue leading JSA and maintain the fun, light-hearted environment we all love. As your Governor, I will make sure all Cabinet selections are fair, communication between CP’s and Cabinet is direct, and all chapters are represented, no matter how small. Thank you, and vote Yash for Governor!!!
Instagram: @yashforgov
