Answering the Call: Hampton Alumna Alyssa Sutton '12 Reaches Back to Charter The Rocks Inc. Military Organization

Alyssa Sutton, a 2012 Hampton University graduate and retired Second Lieutenant, is the president of the newly established Hampton University chapter of The Rocks Inc., a military mentorship and professional development organization.

Answering the call is no easy feat. As the saying goes, “Many are called, few are chosen” rings true for Hampton Alumna, c/o ’12, Alyssa Sutton. Alyssa has served her country in the military and civilian sector by enlisting into the Army upon graduation from Hampton University, retiring, and now working for the Government as a civilian.

During her time here at Hampton, Sutton majored in psychology, worked part-time at fast food restaurants, and served as a peer counselor while maintaining her full scholarship as a Hampton University Army ROTC cadet. As Sutton strove to make her mark in her military career, she faced obstacles that thwarted the timeliness of her plans, mainly due to injuries. However, in a true Hamptonian spirit, Sutton never backed down and continued pressing forward to secure her spot as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army. Once she completed all the training required for her position as a Medical Service Officer in an Infantry Brigade in Fort Benning, Georgia. Unfortunately, Sutton’s injuries did not heal as hoped, so she was honorably discharged and retired, something Sutton had not planned for; however, she went on to work as a Program Manager for the Federal Government in Washington D.C.

Coming full circle, Sutton volunteered to carry out the vision of President Darrell K. Williams in chartering The Rocks Inc. Chapter on Hampton University’s campus--An organization with goals to strengthen military officers and senior civilian corps by serving as a worldclass organization that provides mentorship, coaching, networking, and professional development. Hampton University is the first HBCU to hold The Rocks Inc. chapter on its campus, thus making another historical feat for Hampton University. When no one answered the call to be President, Sutton stood bravely and answered the call. From then on, she began to work to create an interest group comprised of Hampton Military alumni, and the organization started to grow.

Sutton looks to bring all Hampton University military students into this organization and provide them with the tools necessary for a successful military career by hosting networking events, professional development seminars, and a “buddy” system wherein students would be paired with a mentor in their same branch in the location they are stationed. “My biggest hope is that we actually touch and change the cadets’ lives to just prepare them to be better officers. I think the best testament to that is them encouraging others and staying in the program even when they become an officer. So, once they leave Hampton, they saw so much benefit and gained so much from our program that they want to stay in it and give back to the new, you know, military population. So that’s really my goal: to make sure that we do impactful things. Number one, with comradery events, and help keep them excited about where they are, but also with the development and the mentorship, providing them enough that they see the benefit in, in what we’re trying to do with them and actually make an impact that actually helps them in their careers. I think that’s my goal.” Said Sutton.

Sutton shared that a few ways that the Alumni, Parents, Students, and Hampton Community can support the military students on campus is to encourage them, bring in industry leaders in their respective fields to come to The Rocks Inc. events to speak, and ultimately, thank them for their service.