BUSINESS COLLEGE LEADER NEVER EXPECTED CAREER

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Mary Emmenderfer wasn't looking for a career when she accepted a job at what was known as Cape Business College 14 years ago.

"It was just a part-time job as a telephone marketing person," said Emmenderfer. "The school was located in the Buckner-Ragsdale building, and we had 12 to 14 students involved in basic secretarial courses like typing and shorthand."

That was in 1977. Now, Cape Business College has evolved from a modest beginning to the full-fledged Metro Business College, which offers a variety of classes ranging from secretarial to executive administration and computer curriculum to medical administrative assistant.

Mary Emmenderfer has grown with the school.

The Cape Girardeau native is married to Gary Emmenderfer, a Central High School football coach. They are parents of four children.

She has served in many capacities secretary, admissions director, placement director and business director and is now director of the institution. It operates in a sprawling complex at 1732 North Kingshighway and caters to more than 100 students at any one time.

"I've worked in almost every department," said Emmenderfer. "I really love it."

The story of Metro Business College is also the story of Emmenderfer.

Old Cape Business College was founded in downtown Cape Girardeau in October 1975 by three businessmen to provide courses in typing, shorthand and accounting.

"I can remember seeing only a dozen students participating in the classes," said Emmenderfer. "We later moved from the Buckner location to a location over the downtown JCPenney store on Main Street."

The school became Metro Business College in 1981 when it was purchased by George Holske, who already owned business colleges in St. Louis, Rolla and Jefferson City.

The school then moved to 1452 North Kingshighway. In less than three years the school passed the 100 mark in student enrollment, and earned accreditation by the Association of Independent Colleges and Schools.

The accreditation was significant: financial assistance for students through PELL grants and Guaranteed Student Loan programs became available.

The school moved into new quarters at its present site in 1986. In July 1987, Emmenderfer was promoted to director of the college.

Two years later, in September 1989, the school hit a record enrollment of 170 students, a 69 percent increase over the enrollment figure of 1988.

"We feel that our success is due to a number of factors," said Emmenderfer. "We attribute a lot of our success to our new facilities and increased advertising. But we also feel that our reputation has helped increase enrollment."

The school has a job-placement rate for graduates of more than 85 percent.

"During my years at the school the trend for marketable job skills has continued to grow," said Emmenderfer. "About 85 to 90 percent of our students are consistently placed in jobs for which they were trained. I continually receive calls from employers and don't have enough students to fill all requested positions.

"In many instances we have more jobs available than people," said Emmenderfer. "Today's curriculum offers a wide variety of courses. The new medical-administrative-assistant courses have been popular."

Also available are administrative accounting; processing computer operations, including word processing; executive secretarial training; and travel and tourism, which was introduced here in 1989. Classes in travel and tourism include those on management and marketing in the travel industry, reservations and international travel.

Emmenderfer said: "When a student completes the program, he or she will be prepared for entry-level jobs with airlines, rail and bus lines, travel consultants, resorts, hotels, motels, travel agencies and a number of other positions. Statistics show that the travel industry will be one of the largest industries by the year 2000."

A highlight for Emmenderfer was an honor received by the school in April 1990, when it was named School of The Year by the Missouri Association of Private Career Schools. The school was selected among more than 350 member schools. The selection was based on overall performance, including teaching and administration, staff, placement, counseling and management techniques.

Emmenderfer and Metro Business College have "come a long way" over the past decade and a half. And it's safe to predict both the growth of the school and the professional growth of its chief administrator will continue.