Finding Belonging in Unexpected Places: A Story of Connection and Cultural Representation

By Raaj Aggarwal

December 3, 2024

Photo courtesy of the author

Growing up as the son of Indian immigrants in the rural town of Pulaski in Southwest Virginia, I was familiar with the unique blend of cultures I carried within me. My parents, who had left a life of poverty in India to build something new in the United States, raised my two little sisters and me with deep pride in our Indian heritage, but that identity existed primarily at home. At school, where 91% of our classmates were white, our culture was mostly nonexistent.

Our schools, while warm and welcoming, were places where we were always the exception. Fortunately, my siblings and I never experienced any sort of racism or anti-immigrant attitude towards us, yet we were the only Asian American kids in the schools we attended. Understandably given our unique cultural position, the school curriculum didn’t reflect much of our heritage. Indian culture was largely absent from history and literature courses, save for a brief lesson on Hinduism in ninth grade World History. That didn’t bother me much at the time. I was used to my Indian culture existing in the background of my life in Pulaski, and although my heritage wasn’t reflected in the rural schools I attended, I still had a great educational experience and I feel deeply grateful for the time I spent there as a student. I had close friends, was able to grow from lots of extracurricular and enrichment activities, and enjoyed many of my classes, including a few that were taught by phenomenal teachers that transformed my life. 

Still, throughout my years as a student, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to see more of my identity reflected in the world I spent so much time in. Even though my peers and teachers were kind and welcoming, it felt as if an invisible wall separated my culture from my day-to-day school experiences. My sisters and I generally navigated this distance with little difficulty, but sometimes we longed for more—more connection, more understanding, more recognition of the cultures that shaped who we were.

This all changed my sophomore year of high school when I was placed in Algebra II with Ms. Sood. I quickly learned that my new teacher was originally from India and had immigrated to the U.S. several years earlier. This may not have been significant to most of my classmates, but to my sisters and me, it was a moment of joy and recognition. After years of being the only Indian American students in our rural school, we finally had a teacher who shared our cultural background, who knew what it felt like to bridge two worlds, and who understood us on a different level.

Meeting Ms. Sood was like finding an unexpected connection to a part of my life that had often felt distant at school. For the first time, I had someone in my academic world who could relate to my experiences in a way that went beyond the surface. It wasn’t just about our shared Indian heritage. It was about the subtle nuances of navigating life as the child of immigrants—about the balance of honoring where we came from while building our lives in a place that was culturally very different. 

This connection had a major impact on my high school experience. Ms. Sood wasn’t just a teacher who happened to be Indian—she became someone I could look up to. She understood what it meant to carry two identities in the same space and helped me see that I didn’t have to choose between being Indian and being American. Both could coexist, and both were equally valid. 

In addition to being a strong math teacher, Ms. Sood encouraged my siblings and me to take pride in our cultural background. She would occasionally talk to us about her life and childhood in India and share stories about her own journey in navigating the differences between India and the U.S. For the first time, I felt like my identity was truly seen and acknowledged in a meaningful way at school, and it gave me a sense of belonging that I hadn’t realized I was missing.

Having spent most of my school years feeling like an outsider in terms of cultural representation, meeting Ms. Sood showed me how powerful it can be to see yourself reflected in those who guide your learning. It wasn’t just about the academic lessons I learned in her class: it was about feeling seen, valued, and understood in ways that went beyond the textbook.

Having Ms. Sood as my teacher made me feel more at home in my rural school—a space that had often felt disconnected from my identity. It was a reminder that representation matters—not just for the sake of diversity statistics, but for the profound impact it has on students’ sense of belonging and self-worth. 

As I look back on my high school years, I am deeply grateful for the connection I made with Ms. Sood. She helped me and my sisters feel like we belonged in a way that no one else had before. Her presence showed us that our experiences mattered, that our culture mattered, and that we didn’t have to leave any part of ourselves behind as we navigated the world of school and beyond. Representation in education isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a lifeline for students like me who long to see their identities validated and understood in the classroom. My connection with Ms. Sood was part of why I’m now majoring in education to become a public school teacher. While I’m unsure if I’ll end up in a rural school, I know that I’ll be building strong relationships with my students—especially those who have more than one nationality that they view as home.

Raaj Aggarwal is a senior at Virginia Tech. He will graduate this spring with a major in History and Social Sciences Education and plans to become a secondary social studies teacher.