It’s official. Sutton Stracke is an empty-nester.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills mom returned to the East Coast this week to drop her youngest son, James Stracke, off at college. Sutton shared the bittersweet moment in an August 24 Instagram Reel featuring photos and videos of her boy’s first day on campus.
Sutton Stracke takes us inside son James’ first day at college
The post began with an aerial shot of Spartanburg, South Carolina, where James is expected to spend the next four years at Wofford College. The Reel also included a few shots of James’ dorm room and a sweet picture of the mother and son.
“Baby bird is free and out of the nest!” the Beverly Hills cast member wrote. “Wishing you the best and most wonderful next four years full of friendship and love, courage and strength, knowledge and kindness, growth and wisdom. I love you, James.”
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The RHOBH son graduated from Loyola High School back in June. Sutton documented the milestone in an Instagram post that featured footage of the graduation ceremony and a few family photos with her mom, Reba Brown, and Sutton’s other adult children, 23-year-old daughter Porter Stracke and 21-year-old son Philip Stracke.
What are Sutton Stracke’s kids Porter and Philip up to these days?
Shortly after Porter graduated from the College of William & Mary, Sutton confirmed the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority member would continue her education in New York City. According to her LinkedIn, Porter has bachelor’s degrees in history and French, and is currently enrolled at Brooklyn Law School.
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Philip is entering his fourth year at the Citadel Military College of South Carolina, about three hours away from his little brother, James. Sutton spoke about Philip’s post-high school plans in RHOBH Season 12, explaining how his college experience would differ from Porter’s.
“After Philip graduates from high school, he’s going to The Citadel, which is actually a military school,” she said in an Episode 13 (August 3, 2022) confessional. “I think the good news is I don’t have to decorate his room. It’s not like a Porter situation. There’s no like curtains and, you know, any of that stuff. I think you have to like bounce a quarter off your bed.”
Sutton Stracke shares details on son Philip’s post-high school plans
Sutton said Philip initially wanted to join the U.S. Army because he felt his lifestyle was “too comfortable.” So, what did the Beverly Hills mom do? She sent him to Georgia to work in triple-digit temperatures with “100% humidity.”
“You know, he lives a nice life,” she acknowledged. “I said, ‘Oh, well, I’ll make you uncomfortable then’… I made him get a job. He had to be there at 5:30 in the morning to deliver vending machine Cokes and stuff. A month later, when I picked him up, he wanted to go to college. So, I don’t spoil them at all.”
Sutton shares her three kids with Christian Stracke, a London-based businessman whom she divorced in 2016. Although she and her ex-husband have an amicable coparenting relationship, Sutton confessed she wishes they were closer.
Get more details on Sutton and Christian’s divorce, including the “six-figure” spousal support Sutton receives.