John Luther Retires
Working at an institution as large as the University of Michigan for more than two decades, John Luther says he’s picked up that there can be certain ways of talking about things — “U of M speak” as he calls it. But that’s never stopped him from speaking his mind, especially when talking with or advocating for students.
“There are people at the university whose job it is to be very careful, not just about what they say, but how they say it. And so I just don’t do it. I leave it up to the people whose job it is to do it,” Luther says. “But that has been really beneficial in terms of what I do, the way that I interact with people.”
Luther came to Stamps 23 years ago, where he launched the career program from scratch. On July 1, he’ll retire as career development coordinator. Reflecting on his career, he credits his commitment to authenticity with helping him build real relationships with two generations of students and alumni — and with ruffling a few feathers along the way.
“I’ll never forget the first time I said to one of my supervisors, ‘I don’t work for you. I work for students,’ ” he says. “The shock on this person’s face was like, ‘What do you mean you don’t work for me?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t. You don’t pay my salary. Student tuition pays my salary. I work for them.’ ”
Over the years, that work has included helping students write resumes, prepare portfolios, and network with alumni and potential employers, while also expanding the job market for students in creative fields. Following careers and staying connected after graduation has been another joy for Luther. He credits alumni with helping to evolve Stamps’ annual Career Expo into a portfolio-based, real-world experience for students and for bringing him the idea for the always popular career bootcamp, which launched in 2015.
“I get to stay in touch with them,” he says. “I’ve known them since they were freshmen. I get to follow their careers. I get to ask them if they would like to participate in my programming so that they have this way that they can give back to current students.”
Luther’s hands-on approach is often cited by alumni as a key part of their Stamps experience. In 2024 he received the school’s Brian Banks Staff Award.
“Alumni will often recall the impact that John has made on them when they were students, recalling hallway conversations and meetings they’ve had,” says Mark Chung Kwan Fan, director of student life at Stamps. “Once students graduate, they often return to the school to give back to career development programs and events, which indicates that John’s efforts have had a significant impact on them during their time as students. And graduating students don’t miss a chance to thank him during their 10-second commencement speech on stage, which speaks volumes to the impact he’s had on them.”
Luther’s own career also took its twists and turns. After working as a professional dancer in New York and touring productions across Europe and the United States for 12 years, the auditions stopped going his way, and Luther decided it was time to go college at age 30. At Hunter College, he focused on the “ologies” — anthropology, psychology, sociology — before coming to U‑M to earn his master’s in social work. He worked as a therapist for five years before it started taking a toll on his own mental health, and he made the move to career counseling. He never looked back.
Looking forward to retirement, it’s no surprise to learn what Luther will miss most about the job: “Students. Bottom line.”
“What I’m telling all the students I meet with now is, ‘Yes, I am retiring, but we can stay in touch on LinkedIn. If you have questions about connecting to anybody, we can still do that. Just because I retired doesn’t mean I’m not part of a huge network of people.’ So students are what I will miss the most. They’re so amazing.”
At Stamps, Luther not only worked with amazing students but also colleagues who shared his passion for them.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with some incredible people over time, people who are very passionate about students — about student success, about student well-being — and because those are my values, then being surrounded by people who not only share those values but reinforce and support those values has been incredible,” Luther says.
Romy Hill-Cronin, director of undergraduate academic advising, calls Luther an “exceptional colleague” whose fearlessness and passion for students shows in everything he does.
“Once a week or so, as we crossed paths in the hallway, he’d look me in the eye and say, “Don’t I have the best job in the world?’ There was never a need to respond, because I knew he absolutely felt he did. We just smiled at each other in agreement,” Hill-Cronin says. “It says everything that he often ends his meetings with students by saying, ‘Now, go conquer the world!’ and that he is never, ever afraid to tell them how much he loves them and their work.”
“It says everything that he often ends his meetings with students by saying, ‘Now, go conquer the world!’ ”
When she joined Stamps in 2011, Sandra Wiley found herself building a program from the bottom up, much like Luther did in 2002. As the newly hired director of international study programs, she appreciated Luther’s warm welcome, positive outlook, and collaboration.
“We worked together closely to develop pathways to support students. Some of this work was done in weekly Smucker-Wagstaff Academic Program Center (SWAPC) meetings,” Wiley recalls. “At that time, those meetings were loud and lively. In fact, the group had a code word — ‘muskrat’ — that anyone could shout out to restore order and return to the agenda. John’s laughter and generous spirit are woven into my memories of those meetings.
“Thank you, John, for your heartfelt commitment to Stamps students,” Wiley continues. “I know you will throw yourself into this next phase of your life with just as much passion and commitment.”
“Thank you, John, for your heartfelt commitment to Stamps students.”
Plotting life after Stamps is bittersweet and open-ended for Luther, but he has a couple of things he’s looking forward to.
“I’m finally going to take yoga, like, seriously take yoga. And I’m going to take my husband to Paris,” he says. “Those are the only two things that are definite. Everything else, it’s like, what is the universe going to hand me this time?”