FROM THE READER
KEEP I . T . SIMPLE — RAJ SIDHU , INTECH PRESIDENT
Growing up in the United States , I always felt out of place . I moved here at the age of nine , entering a world where I didn ’ t understand the language or the culture . It was never part of the plan for me to live in America , and I didn ’ t attend any special schools to learn English . For a kid who had just seen his first black-and-white TV at age eight , moving to Los Angeles a year later was a complete shock . Everything felt foreign , and I struggled to find my footing in this new and overwhelming environment .
Contact : Raj Sidhu
President
P : 206-397-8070 E : RajS @ intechnw . com W : www . inTechNW . com
Among the many hurdles I faced in school , one was being mistaken for a Native American – I was asked “ What is my tribe ? Cherokee ? Navajo ?” I quickly discovered that not only was I ignorant about what was going on but so were my peers and teachers . It was even more distressing for me to go home to India for the first time and not be accepted as an Indian . This was a challenge I had to learn to deal with – not being accepted in either world .
My parents left California when I was 15 and moved to the Seattle area in search of a better life . Seeing my parents struggle and working multiple jobs , I learned how difficult life for an immigrant can be . I knew that I had to find a way to get myself out of the cycle – the only way I saw to accomplish this was through higher education . I completed the running start program at a local college , which allowed me to get an associate ’ s degree from the college , simultaneously getting credit for high school classes . Upon graduation , my first corporate job in information technology came at the age of 19 . I was the first in my family to graduate college , but I was not done yet as that was only an AAS degree , and I wanted more .
48 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS