SWHS junior Mihika Joshi is the newly elected State President of the Connecticut Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) after many years of hard work and taking on multiple roles within the organization.
As the 2023–2024 Connecticut State Secretary, Joshi helped organize the annual Spring and Fall Leadership Conferences. At the same time, she served as Chapter Treasurer for South Windsor FBLA, where she led fundraising efforts, chaired the financial committee and played a key role in earning national SBE recognition for the chapter.
In Joshi’s first year, she ran for a treasurer position, hoping that if she was elected Joshi would have a clear-cut path to higher positions, “However, I did not get elected that year. The experiences I had that year were not affiliated with any position and did not always get the recognition that I wished they would, but what I realized later was that the experience that I had gotten was immensely helpful in developing my character and pushed me higher in the following years,” Joshi said.
This year, Joshi served as the Connecticut State Vice President, where she was instrumental in growing CT FBLA’s membership by 50% and launching several exciting new programs—including the establishment of a middle school division for the first time in the organization’s history. Joshi also had the privilege of serving on the National Treasurer’s Executive Council as the Programs and Partnerships Director, where she worked to connect students with opportunities available at the national level.
Joshi also hopes to increase participation and engagement. Despite the organization’s strong growth in recent years, Joshi hopes to see even greater student involvement and awareness moving forward.
“We had a HUGE growth in membership, established the MS division, and started many new exciting programs such as the business brunch and state capitol showcase,” Joshi explained. “Those things have made CTFBLA into a more rich organization and community, have helped so many students statewide, and it’s important we keep those things rooted next year so we can keep bringing these opportunities to people.”
“FBLA is a huge organization and has so much to offer,” she said. “It’s crucial for us to serve as a bridge between students and the state or national level.” She’s especially excited about continuing initiatives like State Officer Saturdays, which help students prepare for leadership roles and competitive events.
One of Joshi’s motivations to work so hard in FBLA is to help give representation to women within leadership roles. According to a census taken in 2021 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, women continue to be underrepresented in management roles – 42% of managers are women, yet women make up 47% of the workforce. Joshi saw this underrepresentation within FBLA, as well.
“When I first joined FBLA, women were severely underrepresented. Out of nearly 70 students, not more than 5 of us were girls. However, it is my sincere belief that we as women should not let this stop us,” Joshi said. “I am one of the first women from my chapter to ever run for state office, and I am hoping that my journey can be an inspiration for other girls in my chapter. It is up to us women to change the norm and show the world what we are capable of.”
She aims to make sure that CT and other small states get more recognition and that members’ voices are heard at a national level, “We are on a steady rise- this year we launched a middle school division for the first time and increased our membership by almost 50%. I anticipate that our organization will continue to grow stronger and I hope to keep bringing the organization to new heights as state President!”
“Next year, I’m honored to be stepping into the role of CT FBLA State President, and I look forward to continuing to make an impact,” Joshi stated.
The advisor of FBLA, Nayasha Cruz, has seen Joshi’s growth over the past four years and is excited to see her take on this new role.
“Mihika is driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact on CT FBLA and its members. I believe some of her goals include fostering greater engagement across all chapters, continuing to expand opportunities for middle school students, and ensuring that Connecticut FBLA provides valuable resources and experiences that empower students to become future business leaders,” Cruz said.
