Alumna Shares Her Story of Resilience and Success

L. Renae Metters ’88 was not a traditional student when she attended Elmira College from 1986 to 1988. She transferred from SUNY Corning Community College to study Business Administration and participate in the ROTC program at EC. Before arriving, she had served in the military, gotten married, and had a daughter. Even though she didn’t fit the traditional student mold at the time, she enjoyed learning and making friends, particularly among the international students from The Bahamas. But sadly, personal issues interfered. With only one semester left until her graduation, Metters made the difficult decision to leave EC and return home to New Jersey.

“I had to make a choice in order to win custody of my daughter,” explained Metters.

Initially, she struggled. Her first husband had been abusive and left her and her daughter with no financial support. But Metters eventually found marriage and business success. Her story is an inspirational tale about her perseverance, which led to business leadership and financial wealth.

When Metter first returned to New Jersey and her childhood home, she struggled. She couldn’t find work, and she desperately wanted to leave to make a better life for her and her daughter. She decided to leave New Jersey behind and moved to Baltimore, Maryland. There, she found work. However, she entered a second abusive marriage. This time, she left the relationship quickly, but it meant entering a shelter for women.

Undeterred, Metters kept pushing. She found steady work and an apartment. Within a few years, she had gone from entry-level administrative roles to supervising teams and eventually managing major accounts.

“I relied on the business skills I learned at EC to rise in my career,” she said

She eventually landed in Arlington, Virginia, where she found her third – and current – husband, Seymour Metters, III. With him, she found the support she needed to achieve business success. Together, Metters and her husband led Symtech, which Seymour founded. It provides support services for federal, state, and local government agencies and commercial clients.

Metters relied on her previous military experience to build relationships and trust with the company’s clients and to secure government agency contracts.

“My military experiences helped me relate to our clients, many of whom were military officers,” she explained.

Metters stepped into the CEO role and guided the company’s growth for 15 years, delivering administrative and IT support to logistics, financial services, and specialized operations. Metters and her husband also decided to invest in rental homes in East Point, Georgia, founding and leading Metters-Spann Investments, LLC, a real estate business. As president, Metters purchased 22 homes to fix up and rent.

“My preference was to rent them to women with children,” she explained. “They didn’t make a lot of money, but I kept them up.”

Just before the global pandemic, Metters decided it was time to sell. Over the eight years she owned the homes, the property value rose dramatically. That was thanks in part to the famous actor, director, and self-made media mogul, Tyler Perry. He opened a studio near Metters’ properties.

“One of the 22 houses I purchased for $22,000 sold for $220,000,” she shared. “Who knew I would be in the right place at the right time?”

Soon after COVID restrictions were lifted, Metters shared her storied life with the Jael Women’s Business Network, a membership group focused on helping women find professional success. Among the attendees was her longtime friend Debbie Vaughn, who convinced Metters to write a book chronicling her journey. Impossible Things shares the many lessons Metters learned throughout her life, from her military service to managing abuse to finding success.

“It was 28 years in the making and took two years to write,” she shared. “It was painful getting it all out, but now I’m so free. I feel like there’s no more bondage burdening me.”

L. Renae Metters and Seymour Metters, III, travelled to Cozumel, Mexico, in September 2025. You can see more about her travels here.

Beyond writing, Metters is enjoying her retirement. She volunteers with SPARCC (Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center), a nonprofit that serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual trauma. She and Seymour Metters also took to traveling around the world. They recently celebrated their 25th anniversary and continue to tick off items from their bucket list, including a recent trip to Honduras.

Although Metters didn’t officially graduate from EC, her affinity for the College remains. She even attended an EC Reunion in 2010 to catch up with her longtime friends and check on the latest College news.

As Metters enjoys the bounties of her experiences, she hopes to inspire others, especially those who are struggling.

“Don’t be afraid or too proud to ask for help,” she advises. “Find out what you really enjoy, and then it won’t be like work to you.”