Warudkar Family Brings Culture and Adventure to Cypress

Story by Patricia Hudson | Photos by Shivam Naik - Shiv Photography

Achance Facebook post offering a child’s basketball goal and a subsequent donation led PinPointe Magazine to the home of Cypress Creek Lakes couple, Sumedh and Pooja Warudkar. We decided to delve into the lives of this adventurous pair.

Sumedh and Pooja, where did the two of you grow up?

Sumedh: I grew up in India. In 2007, I moved to Texas to do my PhD at Rice University. Pooja: I am from Oman, a country in the Middle East, and Western Asia. (Oman shares a border with the Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen). After spending my entire childhood there, I moved to India for my undergrad where Sumedh and I met. I did my undergrad work in computer science, then moved to Florida.

What are your favorite childhood memories?

Sumedh: I remember long road trips with family across central and western India, eating at the local restaurants, and listening to a lot of music! Pooja: My favorite childhood memories were traveling with my family. One summer, we had the opportunity to go to Singapore and Malaysia. I enjoyed the great food, seeing a lot of animals and having an immense amount of fun.

Where did you attend college? What was your major?

Sumedh: I did my Undergrad work in Chemical Engineering, NITK Surathkal, in India. I received my PhD degree in Chemical Engineering at Rice University.

Pooja: I earned my undergrad degree in Computer Engineering, from NITK Surathkal, in India. I was awarded my MS Electrical and Computer Science degree from the University of Florida.

What career path did you follow?

Sumedh: Initially, I worked as a Research Engineer, then as an Economist and Supply Chain Manager at Shell. Pooja: I worked at Research in Motion, (Blackberry), while doing my grad studies. Upon graduation, I moved to Texas and joined a startup which focused on providing the best rates of utilities to consumers via an online platform. When the start-up was acquired and moved headquarters to Atlanta, I joined Deloitte as an ecommerce consultant and have been there for the last 7 years.

Our children are our pride and joy. Tell us about your child.

Pooja: Our daughter, Tanaya Warudkar, is four years old; she loves to play with dolls, the Snakes and Ladders game, listen to music and dance.

What lessons about life do you feel are the most important to teach your daughter?

Pooja: Be a good person. Be kind and hardworking. If you are good to other people, they are good to you. Give everything you do your 100%. Follow your dreams always and keep smiling!

What roles do your culture and customs play in your everyday lives?

Being hospitable and helping our neighbors, family and friends is a very important part of Indian culture and something really important that sticks to us.

Do you have any hobbies or hidden talents?

Sumedh: I am an avid runner and cyclist, having completed several MS-150 rides. I once biked from Houston to New Orleans, 550 miles over 6 days. I love to travel and explore. Pooja: I love arts and crafts, as well as photography! I also love to travel.

Family time is usually spent...

Pooja: Playing games, listening to music, singing, and cooking. We have three pets at home: Snickers and Kisses, our 10-yearold cats, and our three-year-old beagle, Twix. They keep us busy!

Our favorite travel destination is...

Pooja: Iceland! We visited Iceland in 2015. We spent some really good time there, and were able to see the Northern Lights. We plan to travel there again soon, along with Tanaya, to show her some of the beautiful sights there!

If you know of an exceptional Greater Fairfield, Towne Lake, Bridgeland/Blackhorse Ranch, Coles Crossing, or Cypress Creek Lakes individual or family that needs to be featured in an upcoming issue of PinPointe Magazine, please contact me: texasteacher024@outlook.com.