This was the artwork that won Malerie Land third place in the 2018 Manufacturing Appreciation Week student design contest.

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Malerie Land, a fifth grader from Gifted Education with Academic Rigor (G.E.A.R.), celebrated with Gov. Nathan Deal on April 12 at the Governor’s Awards Luncheon.

Land won third place in the 2018 Manufacturing Appreciation Week student design contest in the kindergarten through fifth grade category. She received a $100 scholarship check presented by Deal during the luncheon at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Ga.

She is the daughter of Marie Land and Travis Steffen.

Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products. From G.E.A.R., Land also represented Southern Regional Technical College.

“The design contest exposes students to the diversity of career opportunities available in manufacturing, and it fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation for how critical manufacturing is to the prosperity of their own local communities,” said Richard Warner, noted Georgia journalist and emcee of the event. “Now more than ever, we need to make young people aware that manufacturing is an area where they can express their creativity, and where their skills are rewarded.”

The Governor’s Awards Luncheon is the highlight of Manufacturing Appreciation Week, celebrated this year April 9-12. Co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, MAW brings attention to the tremendous contribution manufacturing makes on Georgia’s economic growth, according to a press release from Southern Regional Tech.

Nearly 9,738 manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia, providing 396,339 jobs and generating more than $23.1 billion in wages for Georgia’s citizens, and contributing more than $100 billion to the state’s economy each year, Deal said.

This is the 24th year celebrating Manufacturing Appreciation Week in Georgia. This year’s sponsors included the Georgia Association of Manufacturers, the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Power, and HA+W | Aprio.