Emarie Butler, a Ringling High School senior, considers herself to be a perfectionist.
“So being as good as I can be motivates me,” said Butler, who cheers, plays basketball and throws shot put for the Blue Devils. “I am also motivated by my parents to have a drive to succeed in all things I do. Another form of motivation I have is my community, to adequately represent them and my school.”
Butler also is on Ringling’s academic team, national honor society, safe school committee, FCA and she serves as student council president. She volunteers in children’s ministries at Generations Church in Ardmore.
Butler has no shortage of inspiration to draw from. She takes in wisdom from her family and her teachers.
“Some of my biggest influences are my Granny Whatley, my parents and my high school counselor, Mrs. Shelley Koons. My Granny Whatley influences me through her devotion to her family. My parents’ values, morals and constant love influenced me to be the driven human I am today. Shelley Koons influences me because she is the epitome of grace and compassion,” Butler said. “My high school English teacher, Mrs. Kelly Howard, has had the biggest impact on me. Mrs. Howard is devoted to her students and she treats them like her family.”
Specifically, Butler is a guard on the basketball team and a side base on the cheer team. It’s a dynamic lifestyle, one that requires much more than going through the motions.
“To become successful in my sports, I have had to work hard in the weight room, spend extra time working on my speed and skill and have mental drive to succeed,” Butler said.
Cheering on Ringling in the state semifinal football game in 2021 was a career highlight for Butler.
“That game was super intense, because it was low-scoring and came down to the very last plays, but we ended winning, so we got to go to the state championship,” Butler said.
Another was winning a gold ribbon at their game day evaluation at cheer camp in 2022.
“The gold ribbon is significant because it means that, not only did we perform our routine perfectly, but we also had perfect crowd engagement, and that’s a pretty big deal for a team of nine girls.”
