Sharona Huang not only picked up a statewide award last week, she received a $300 scholarship and lunch with Gov. Nathan Deal.

Sharona, a sixth-grader at Coleman Middle in Duluth won second place in the 2017 Manufacturing Appreciation Week student design contest in the sixth through eighth grade category. She received the honors at an awards luncheon at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.

Students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products to teach students about the importance of manufacturing.

Ann Sechrist, director of Economic Development at Gwinnett Tech, said there was nearly 20 submissions from the local community alone.

“The manufacturing industry has changed significantly in the last few decades,” Sechrist said in a press release. “These are clean, high-tech jobs that pay well above average. Graduates in this field are in high-demand.”

Co-hosted by the Technical College System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, MAW brings attention to this component of Georgia’s economy.