Skye Boutall, a seventh grader at Greenbrier Middle School, celebrated with Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday at the Governor’s Awards Luncheon. Boutall won second place in the 2018 Manufacturing Appreciation Week student design contest in the sixth through eighth grade category. She received a $300 scholarship check presented by Gov. Nathan Deal during the luncheon on April 12 at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Ga.

“I sketched out a lot of different ideas at first, but I wanted to show a good metaphor,” said Boutall when asked about what inspired her submission. “I’m surprised that I won, but I’m very happy to be here.” 

Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products. From Greenbrier Middle School, Boutall also represented Augusta 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 MAW, celebrated this year April 9 through 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 Gov. Nathan Deal, 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.

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.