NEWS
AFL Presents Two Naruse Academic Scholarship Awards
06/30/2020
Spartanburg, SC – AFL, a leading international manufacturer of fiber optic cable, accessories and equipment, announces the presentation of two Naruse Academic Scholarship awards. Scholarships were awarded to Andrew Lewis, son of Kristine Lewis, territory sales manager for AFL, and Kavya Patchipulusu, daughter of Prasad Patchipulusu, IT applications development manager. 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.
Andrew Lewis is an honor graduate from North Gwinnett High School where he graduated with a 3.86 GPA. An avid saxophone player, Andrew received the “Most Outstanding Musician Award” and was selected as first chair in the District Honor Band. Andrew led the North Gwinnett Bulldog Marching Band as a Drum Major his junior and senior years and, as a member of the North Gwinnett Jazz Ensemble, played first alto saxophone. Andrew speaks fluent German and participated in the State German Convention for the last three years. During his senior year, he was inducted as a member of the National German Honor Society. Andrew has a heart for service to others. During his junior and senior years in high school, he mentored freshmen students, advising them on how to have a successful high school experience. He volunteers at his church, serving as a small group leader for 4th and 5th grade boys. He also volunteers with Do Something Incredible where he served meals and made care packages for the homeless. Andrew plans to attend the University of Georgia, majoring in business, and recently learned that he will be playing the alto saxophone in UGA’s Redcoat Marching Band.
Kavya Patchipulusu graduated as salutatorian from Mauldin High School. She was heavily involved in the National Beta Club and National Honors Society, performing over 400 hours of community service in her local community. Kavya helped develop a tutoring system connecting over 275 tutors to students throughout high school to ensure school-wide academic success for her peers. Her passions for helping others succeed academically also led her to co-found Student’s Bridge the Gap, an organization dedicated to helping first-generation English Language Learners to succeed in high school and apply to college. Kavya is also an accomplished tennis player and dancer. She received a Varsity letter for girl’s tennis, won two regional champion titles with her team, played USTA Junior Team Tennis and won a State Championship. Kavya has been trained in the dance form, Bharatnatyam, performing at several venues in the Southeast. She hosts free workshops to share her Indian art and culture with the community. Kavya will attend the University of South Carolina Honors College and study Public Health. She hopes that understanding the interconnectivity between social determinants and physical and mental wellness will prepare her in expanding the access to healthcare in underserved communities.
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. The 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.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
Corie Culp
Community Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com
Andrew Lewis is an honor graduate from North Gwinnett High School where he graduated with a 3.86 GPA. An avid saxophone player, Andrew received the “Most Outstanding Musician Award” and was selected as first chair in the District Honor Band. Andrew led the North Gwinnett Bulldog Marching Band as a Drum Major his junior and senior years and, as a member of the North Gwinnett Jazz Ensemble, played first alto saxophone. Andrew speaks fluent German and participated in the State German Convention for the last three years. During his senior year, he was inducted as a member of the National German Honor Society. Andrew has a heart for service to others. During his junior and senior years in high school, he mentored freshmen students, advising them on how to have a successful high school experience. He volunteers at his church, serving as a small group leader for 4th and 5th grade boys. He also volunteers with Do Something Incredible where he served meals and made care packages for the homeless. Andrew plans to attend the University of Georgia, majoring in business, and recently learned that he will be playing the alto saxophone in UGA’s Redcoat Marching Band.
Kavya Patchipulusu graduated as salutatorian from Mauldin High School. She was heavily involved in the National Beta Club and National Honors Society, performing over 400 hours of community service in her local community. Kavya helped develop a tutoring system connecting over 275 tutors to students throughout high school to ensure school-wide academic success for her peers. Her passions for helping others succeed academically also led her to co-found Student’s Bridge the Gap, an organization dedicated to helping first-generation English Language Learners to succeed in high school and apply to college. Kavya is also an accomplished tennis player and dancer. She received a Varsity letter for girl’s tennis, won two regional champion titles with her team, played USTA Junior Team Tennis and won a State Championship. Kavya has been trained in the dance form, Bharatnatyam, performing at several venues in the Southeast. She hosts free workshops to share her Indian art and culture with the community. Kavya will attend the University of South Carolina Honors College and study Public Health. She hopes that understanding the interconnectivity between social determinants and physical and mental wellness will prepare her in expanding the access to healthcare in underserved communities.
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. The 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.
About AFL
Founded in 1984, AFL is an international manufacturer providing end-to-end solutions to the energy, service provider, enterprise and industrial markets as well as several emerging markets. The company’s products are in use in over 130 countries and include fiber optic cable and hardware, transmission and substation accessories, outside plant equipment, connectivity, test and inspection equipment, fusion splicers and training. AFL also offers a wide variety of services supporting data center, enterprise, wireless and outside plant applications.
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.
ContactCorie Culp
Community Relations Manager
AFL
864.433.5409
Corie.Culp@AFLglobal.com