As journeys go, Karolin Lufti started out with enrolling in the pre-med program at Cal State Northridge. Soon after, she realized it was not the right path. Her heart was in teaching. She enrolled in a credential program and upon completion started working as a Teacher’s assistant at El Camino Real HS.
But her priority were her two young children at the time. She didn’t want to take time away from them. They attended Tulsa ES. In order to be close to them, she became a room mom and participated actively in the PTA and fundraising for the school. Today, she is very proud of her two children whom she says, “are products of public education”. Her older son get a Master’s degree and now runs a department at UCLA. Her younger son is currently in a PhD program in Chemistry.
Many years later, Karolin joined the staff at Tulsa ES, and in fact is Tulsa’s SAA. She has worked there under 6 different principals. This year she will be retiring, after 35 years at LAUSD. “I am happy to retire while Principal Powell is still there. He recognized me because I’m a people person. I work well with others. I love my job. I like the financial aspect, the accounting/budget. I absolutely love it!”
As she prepares for retirement, she is working hard to ensure a smooth transition for her successor. In addition to joining the interview panel to help select the best person, she trusts that because they are well organized, with a system for everything, the school will function very well without her.