Talia Poremba

Talia Poremba (10) and Regina Copeland (10) compete at the district competition in the Project Management and Community Giving event. They began preparing for this competition in Sept. “The most enjoyable part [of the project] was to see it all coming together, and those donations helping families,” Poremba said.

DECA members Talia Poremba (10) and Regina Copeland (10) have been meticulously planning and preparing their DECA project since the beginning of Sept.  and are concluding the preparations by competing at the district competition Feb 5. 

Poremba and Copeland have been putting in work inside and out of school for four months to make sure their project carries impact and is presented successfully. Poremba and Copeland will compete in the Project Management and Community Giving event. 

“We have to organize an event or project that gives back to the community,” Poremba said. “It either raises funds for donations, and it’s a project that is meaningful to us, kind of like a passion project.” 

Poremba and Copeland are in their second year competing in the Project Management and Community Giving event and have focused on giving back to the Hispanic community in St. Louis, where they feel connected to their culture. 

“We designed our initiative around a baby care drive and community event,” Copeland said. “To donate essential items to Hispanic families in need, we collected diapers and wipes from various schools and businesses while also organizing a community event that brought people together for this cause.”
Poremba and Copeland went to great lengths to ensure the success of their project and went out of their way to reach their collaborators, who without the event, would not have been possible. 

“We’ve partnered with a bunch of schools and businesses,” Poremba said. “Then we did a social community event at Stacey Park, and we had Companion and AO & Co donate breakfast.” 

In addition to all of the dedication and effort that Poremba and Copeland put into their project, their strong partnership and authenticity is what gives them the motivation to continue to work hard. 

“Working with Talia has been incredible,” Copeland said. “We share the same passion for helping others, especially within our Hispanic community, which makes our collaboration both meaningful and effective.”