Saluting our moms: Wheeler's Molly Butremovic and mom Kristen Butremovic

May 9—If Molly Butremovic is ever outside her comfort zone — although it doesn't seem like she ever is as the pulse of Wheeler High School, competing in volleyball, basketball and softball over the last four years — it's because her mother Kristen encourages the senior to spread her wings.

"She encouraged me to run for class president, she encouraged me to join clubs. She and my dad both encourage my academics; they say 'see where it can get you' and that when you say student-athlete, student comes first," Butremovic said.

"She really is the type of mom to have everything in place. Our house is always clean and smells good. She's a good cook. She always has breakfast on the table if we want it. She's very on top of things. Sometimes I don't even know how she balances it all."

Kristen Butremovic is a health education teacher at Griswold Middle School, where her husband Chuck is a technology education teacher — "That's where they met," Molly said. "They still teach a door down from each other."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with her mom teaching online, Molly got a first-hand look at the dedication Kristen has for her job.

"It's super cool to see. The students trust her so much," Molly said. "My dad always says, 'I know I'm not the favorite 'Butro' in the building.'"

Molly, who plans to attend UConn as a sports management major, was Wheeler's ECC scholar-athlete in volleyball and basketball, and was a CIAC Scholar-Athlete recipient. She's involved in student government, a member of the National Honor Society and interned with Platinum Gear Productions, a video production group in Griswold, as part of her senior project.

Kristen, a 1991 Westerly High graduate (the Bulldogs won the Division II softball state championship her senior season), lends support for all her daughter's endeavors.

Said Molly: "I see how she balances (everything) and I try to mirror that."