What does it take to become Billings’ Most Valuable Pupil?

In this special episode of Off The Record Podcast, hosts Paul Adam and Colin Gerstner sit down with Rory Whisenhunt, the winner of the Most Valuable Pupil (MVP) award, a program recognizing outstanding students for their achievements in academics, athletics, and community involvement.

Rory discusses his success in the classroom, his passion for baseball, plans for the future, and what it means to be selected from a talented group of students across the Billings area. The episode also features a fun rapid-fire segment covering everything from fishing and Taco Bell to baseball traditions and advice for other students.

In This Episode:

⚾ Rory’s experience playing Legion baseball in Montana and Wyoming
🏫 Life as a student at Billings Senior High School
📚 The importance of academics and setting goals
🎓 Saving for college and planning for the future
🎣 Favorite summer activities, fishing, and family adventures
🏆 Winning the Most Valuable Pupil award
💡 Advice for students striving to achieve their goals
😂 Fun rapid-fire questions and unexpected answers

Rory’s humility, work ethic, and positive attitude make this an inspiring conversation for students, parents, coaches, and anyone who believes in the power of hard work and dedication.

Congratulations again to Rory Whisenhunt, the 2025 Most Valuable Pupil Award winner! 🏆

#BillingsMT #StudentAthlete #YouthSports #Baseball #Education #BillingsSenior #MostValuablePupil #MontanaStudents #OffTheRecordPodcast #BillingsMontana #Leadership #StudentSuccess #LegionBaseball

Paul Adam 0:07 Welcome back to Off The Record Podcast by Gerstner Adam Law. My name is Paul Adam, this is my partner Colin, and we usually talk about the law on our podcast. If you tuned in, the past few episodes, we’ve had some great topics, some controversial topics, also some personal interest things, but today is something completely different, and we’re pretty excited to share it with you. Colin tell us what we got.

Colin Gerstner 0:35 So, I’m, I’m stoked, happy to be here. Maybe our best episode yet. We have a very special guest, Rory Whisenhunt. So this year we’re very happy to partner with Town Square Media to sponsor a program called the Most Valuable Pupil, and the Most Valuable Pupil Award, or the MVP, was awarded weekly to outstanding Billings Area students. They’re selected for achievements in the classroom, while also considering their extracurriculars, such as athletics and community service. We had a weekly winners, and at the end of it all, Paul and I sat down, reviewed the winners, and picked one to be the supreme MVP. I guess we could say.

Paul Adam 1:16 Yeah, I mean, it was no, there was a lot of good, lot of good candidates, and yeah, I mean, really impressive group of kids, but Rory stuck out, stood out, excuse me, for a couple of reasons. One, we love that you play baseball, you know, Colin and I, we’ve talked about this before on podcasts, you know, we’re big supporters of youth baseball and Billings, we met. Well, we grew up playing baseball together, and so you know that stuck out to us. We love that. I think that’s where we want to start with you, Rory. We’re gonna ask you a few questions about what’s going on with the baseball season. So, start off, tell us who you play for.

Rory Whisenhunt 1:59 Okay. I play for the Blue Side Legion baseball for the post four team.

Paul Adam 2:05 Okay, and so you, and so that means you’ve got games just in Billings. Are you playing around the state, or where do you play?

Rory Whisenhunt 2:15 Yeah, we play like around Montana and Wyoming too. This weekend we’re going to a tournament in Cody.

Paul Adam 2:23 Okay

Colin Gerstner 2:25 Rory, what school do you go to?

Rory Whisenhunt 2:26 I go to Senior High School.

Colin Gerstner 2:29 Do you just finish your freshman year?

Rory Whisenhunt 2:30 Yeah, I just finished freshman.

Colin Gerstner 2:32 Nice. Besides baseball, what you got planned for the summer?

Rory Whisenhunt 2:35 We’re probably gonna go to Georgetown Lake and just do some baseball tournaments and hang out. Maybe my sister will make All-Stars for softball, so we might do that and do some traveling.

Paul Adam 2:50 Okay. What, what little league is your sister in?

Rory Whisenhunt 2:53 She plays for BA.

Paul Adam 2:56 Oh, okay.

Colin Gerstner 2:58 So she’s got a San Bernardino in her headlights, there, right?

Rory Whisenhunt 3:01 Yeah, maybe.

Colin Gerstner 3:02 Very cool. Rory, when did you realize you’re destined for greatness?

Rory Whisenhunt 3:08 I don’t know, that’s a hard question, but maybe like in eighth grade, when I realized that I had been getting good grades, and I’ve been playing baseball for like my whole life, pretty much.

Paul Adam 3:24 I mean, is that, is that how it happened for you? You just kind of realized that you got good grades. I mean, usually I had to work, I had to work pretty hard for my grades, to be honest. There was no just realizing it.

Colin Gerstner 3:38 Yeah, no, I had a pick and scratch for everything I got, so you’re greater than Paul and I, for sure. We never had a realization moment.

Rory Whisenhunt 3:46 Yeah,

Colin Gerstner 3:46 And so you went to Will James, is that correct?

Rory Whisenhunt 3:50 Yeah

Colin Gerstner 3:50 So Paul and I also went to Will James just a few years before you.

Rory Whisenhunt 3:54 Yeah

Colin Gerstner 3:55 What’s your favorite thing about school?

Rory Whisenhunt 3:58 I mean, I like math, and I like hanging out with my friends a lot.

Paul Adam 4:05 Math, you mentioned, you know, engineering, your dad’s an engineer, maybe you’ll follow in his footsteps, yeah, you know, my dad was also an engineer, and they’re, they’re a pretty, you know, not necessarily the most social types, but but they’re certainly smart. You fit that mold, or what do you think?

Rory Whisenhunt 4:30 Yeah, I think I fit that mold.

Paul Adam 4:33 You seem like it. You seem like you’re gonna, I think you’re gonna do great in whatever you choose. But Rory, we certainly appreciate you, you know, coming on to the podcast. Yeah, like we said, there was a whole bunch of whole bunch of selections that we had to pick from, and boy, you stood out. So, congratulations on winning Most Valuable Pupil. There is a prize, cash prize award with this,

Colin Gerstner 5:01 Yeah, $1,000 is that right?

Paul Adam 5:03 I think it’s $1,000.

Colin Gerstner 5:04 Do we have a, like, a novelty check? Could you bring it on?

Paul Adam 5:09 Oh, we’ve got it, we’ve got a big check to present. This is great.

Colin Gerstner 5:12 Yeah, so what do you, what are you gonna do with the money?

Rory Whisenhunt 5:15 Probably save it for college.

Colin Gerstner 5:17 Wow, just incredible.

Paul Adam 5:19 Gosh, no wrong answer by this guy, that would not have been my answer. I’m super impressed.

Colin Gerstner 5:27 Oh, here it comes.

Paul Adam 5:28 Okay. Hey, let’s.. gosh, this is yours. We got to here. I want you to hang on to that boy. Is that we got a good picture of that? Somebody better be taking a photo. Oh, we’ve got all sorts of photos. Hold that up a little bit. Stand up, stand up if you can. Yeah, can we get Rory to stand up? There it is. Scoot over that way a little bit. Sure, that’s fantastic.

Colin Gerstner 6:00 Yeah, million dollar smile. Love it, Rory.

Paul Adam 6:03 Hopefully you get a couple more novelty checks in your life, but you’re certainly on the trajectory, man.

Colin Gerstner 6:11 So you, you enjoy fishing, I gather?

Rory Whisenhunt 6:13 Yeah.

Colin Gerstner 6:14 So this is Off The Record Podcast. You can share what’s your hot fishing spot?

Rory Whisenhunt 6:22 I mean, Georgetown Lake. When we go up there, we usually do a bit of fishing, and there’s some pretty big fish up there, like trout and salmon.

Colin Gerstner 6:31 Yeah, hot salmon fishery.

Rory Whisenhunt 6:33 Yeah

Colin Gerstner 6:34 That’s awesome. Ready to jump on the hot seat? Got some burning questions to ask you?

Rory Whisenhunt 6:38 Okay,

Colin Gerstner 6:38 Rapid fire here.

Rory Whisenhunt 6:39 Yeah,

Colin Gerstner 6:40 So there’s an old question that went viral, probably before you even entered elementary school, but is one that has perplexed philosophers over the years. Got to ask.

Paul Adam 6:52 I’m just gonna say I did not vet these questions. This is an outline that I just gave Colin complete creative license, and I’m just gonna sit back and enjoy. So, go take it away, Colin.

Colin Gerstner 7:08 Ah, is a hot dog a sandwich?

Rory Whisenhunt 7:09 Um, I’d have to say no, because I knew you eat it like a sandwich you’d eat sideways like this, but a hot dog you’re eating like this, and like, there’s not stuff spilling out every side of it.

Paul Adam 7:25 Oh, I’m convinced.

Colin Gerstner 7:26 Yeah

Paul Adam 7:27 Great answer.

Colin Gerstner 7:27 Do you have a category?

Rory Whisenhunt 7:28 No? I don’t know, it’s just a hot dog.

Colin Gerstner 7:34 I have an opinion, I haven’t workshopped yet.

Paul Adam 7:37 We don’t want to hear your opinion, Colin. Next question.

Colin Gerstner 7:40 Okay, all right. If you’re ordering DoorDash for dinner, what are you getting?

Rory Whisenhunt 7:49 Probably Taco Bell.

Colin Gerstner 7:51 Oh, there you go. What’s your go-to on the menu there?

Rory Whisenhunt 7:55 The Crunchwrap is pretty good, or like the Doritos Locos.

Colin Gerstner 7:59 Oh, yes, yeah,

Paul Adam 8:01 That’s an age-old classic.

Colin Gerstner 8:02 Is there any slang that your teachers or coaches use that you just wish they wouldn’t?

Rory Whisenhunt 8:09 And, like, sometimes the teachers say, like, six, seven, and stuff

Colin Gerstner 8:13 Oh, yeah

Rory Whisenhunt 8:14 It’s kind of corny.

Colin Gerstner 8:16 Yeah, it’s kind of run its course.

Paul Adam 8:18 What, what about your favorite baseball chirp,

Rory Whisenhunt 8:22 I don’t know, we do a lot of stuff, but when we went to Gillette this weekend, we were saying like nightmare and stuff.

Paul Adam 8:31 Okay

Rory Whisenhunt 8:32 So yeah

Colin Gerstner 8:33 My favorite was when the pitcher spikes it short of the plate and the batting team that dug out, they go funeral ball, that’s my, that’s my favorite. If you had to pick a celebrity to substitute teach one of your classes, who would you pick?

Rory Whisenhunt 8:52 I don’t know, maybe like Aaron Judge or someone.

Paul Adam 8:59 Nice.

Colin Gerstner 8:59 You won the final, the Supreme MVP award, and you know their number of very worthy candidates, great winners of our weekly MVP award. Are you concerned that some of them are plotting their revenge against you? And if so, how are you going to protect yourself?

Rory Whisenhunt 9:19 I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about that one. I don’t think so.

Colin Gerstner 9:25 One last question, this: you got something you want to get off your chest? So, you’ve won the Supreme Award, the pinnacle of achievement out of the entire Billings area. What’s your message to all those less valuable pupils out there?

Rory Whisenhunt 9:39 I’d say just gotta work hard for your dreams, and always just do what you want.

Paul Adam 9:47 Yeah, good things happen. Love it. Well, we’re gonna let you off the hot seat, man. Colin’s had his time, but no. We appreciate you coming in. Congratulations again. We wish you the best.

Rory Whisenhunt 9:48 Thank you.

Colin Gerstner 9:51 Thanks, Rory. Bye.