How One Alumna is Powering One-On-One Success
Saranda Karpuzi is an alumna of Northwestern's MSEd in Educational Studies concentration in the School of Education and Social Policy. She is currently the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Development at One on One Learning, an organization that helps boost school and district performance and elevate student achievement through personalized in-person, high-impact intervention programs.
Saranda Karpuzi has always been drawn toward the field of education. After working at the non-profit Literacy New Jersey, Karpuzi earned a Fulbright scholarship and spent a year teaching at a major university in Kosovo, a small country in Southeastern Europe. “I taught English and American history which was a great experience because I was able to see education through a higher ed lens,” Karpuzi said.
When she returned to the U.S., Karpuzi began pursuing her Master of Science in Education and Social Policy at the School of Education and Social Policy to learn about K-12 education on a deeper level. During her graduate career, she worked at Evanston/Skokie School District 65, assuming an administrative role. Her experiences have not only helped her understand the education system from an administrator’s perspective, as she worked closely with principals and schools leaders, but also shed light on how information is communicated across the state and school board level.
After graduating, Karpuzi was looking for educational spaces that supported high need students. “In elementary, middle, and high school – and then in college – I struggled with the traditional classroom setting,” she said. “I really had a hard time focusing.” Her experiences and internal motivators led her to initially join the One on One Learning team as a local program coordinator for Milwaukee Public Schools where she helped 19 different schools with implementing and coordinating year-long high-impact tutoring programs.
One on One Learning provides students with high impact or intensive tutoring to help them meet their personal and academic goals. The trained tutors consistently meet students one-on-one or in small groups at least three times a week for 30-45 minutes at a time during the school day. This model of consistency fosters a growth mindset, improves social emotional learning, and increases students' interest in learning. For those learning English or who have Individualized Education Programs (commonly abbreviated as “IEPs”), the individualized nature of high-impact tutoring offers more scaffolding, a slower teaching pace, and additional usage of educational manipulatives with the help of an implementer team that constantly strategizes how to support specific cases.
As a local program coordinator, Karpuzi implemented Renaissance FastBridge assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year to assess student’s progress and achievements. These assessments enabled Karpuzi to make targeted decisions, generate reliable data for student interventions, and quantify student progress over the school year. By the end of the year, 92% of students had improved significantly on their state testing, principals reported decreased student absenteeism, and an improvement in student morale.
Now, as the Assistant Director of Partnerships and Development, her role uses her MSEd degree more fully as she connects with principals and superintendents and uses a wider lens. From understanding the historical foundation of education to the policy aspects that currently overshadow some reform efforts in schools, Karpuzi used her background to keep extending One on One Learning’s influence across the U.S.
Karpuzi’s journey through education at every level has deeply informed the work she does today. Raised as the child of immigrants and surrounded by multiple languages and layered histories, she learned early on that authentic human connection is the foundation of growth.
“I don’t speak to [administrative professionals] as a salesperson. I speak to them as someone who has personally struggled in school and has gone on to design and implement highly effective tutoring interventions, managed teams, supported students with complex needs, and has worked in close partnership with principals and superintendents. My perspective is grounded in lived experience and a deep commitment to student growth.” Karpuzi noted.
By emphasizing that “behind every word is a world of context,” Karpuzi highlights the need for educators and decision-makers to understand students within their real experiences. This approach shapes how programs are designed and implemented, ensuring that interventions are responsive to actual needs and lead to meaningful outcomes for students.