Williams Baptist University received a $7,500 gift from First National Bank of Lawrence County Wednesday in support of the Williams Works program. The check was presented to WBU President Dr. Stan Norman by Paula Haskins, assistant cashier and head teller for the Walnut Ridge branch of the bank.

The Williams Works program will welcome its second class of students this fall to complement the 40 students who began the program in August of 2020. Students in the program work 16 hours a week through the fall and spring semesters and in exchange for their work hours, they have the cost of their tuition and fees covered each semester they work. In addition, they will have the opportunity to work through the summer and have their room and board expenses as well, giving them the opportunity to graduate debt-free.

Students work a variety of jobs around campus and in the community to accumulate their hours which include jobs on WBU’s produce farm, Eagle Farms and through community partners like Custom-Pak, which provide students the opportunity to work in a material and handling environment. 

WBU is a private, Christian university in Walnut Ridge.