Spartanburg, SC | July 20, 2022 | AFL, a leading international manufacturer of fiber optic cable, accessories and equipment, announces the presentation of two 2022-2023 Naruse Academic Scholarship awards. Scholarships were awarded to Michael Hintz, son of Randy Hintz, Systems Developer in AFL’s IT department, and Bailey Quinn, daughter of Justin Quinn, Process Engineering Manager for AFL’s premise and black jacket cabling division.

Michael Hintz graduated from the Hintz Homeschool Academy with a 4.22 cumulative GPA, including eight courses from John Tyler Community College. Michael has competed in robotics since he was 11 years old and helped start a team in his rural New Kent Virginia community. The team builds and programs robots to compete in FIRST® Tech Challenge, and they also host and attend many community events to bring a love of STEM to younger students. Michael also serves in his church where he has visited the elderly in assisted living facilities and helped deliver food to those in need.

This fall, Michael will attend West Virginia University to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He plans to continue with robotics as a remote mentor to his former team in New Kent Virginia, as well as local teams that utilize the WVU facilities.

Bailey Quinn graduated from Boiling Springs High School and with honors as a member of the National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, and the Beta Club. Bailey played with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) through middle school and played for Spartanburg United during high school. She started her first job at a local restaurant prior to the pandemic and was quickly voted employee of the month. She has also been active in the youth group at New Life Baptist Fellowship in Boiling Springs where she participated in the Jerusalem Project, Vacation Bible School, and various camps.

In the fall, Bailey is attending the College of Charleston in business school. She is particularly interested in accounting and finance and hopes to have an opportunity to study abroad.

Each year, AFL awards a four-year scholarship to the son or daughter of a North American-based AFL associate entering a college or university. This award recognizes students that have stellar academics, achievements and community service, and provides $2,000 per year for four years toward the cost of tuition, room/board, books and more.

The Naruse scholarship was named in memory of Toshihide Naruse, Managing Director of Fujikura, AFL’s parent company. Mr. Naruse’s contributions to AFL were significant, and because of his personal interest in higher education, AFL continues to honor his memory.

For more information about AFL and its Community Outreach Program, visit www.AFLglobal.com.

Headquartered in Spartanburg, SC, AFL has operations in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan. For more information, visit www.AFLglobal.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and read our blog.