The Williams Pulse

On this episode of Take Flight, we sit down with Williams men’s basketball guard Deion Wesson, a student-athlete whose impact at Williams Baptist University reaches far beyond the court.

Known for his confidence, tempo, and ability to deliver in big moments, Deion has emerged as one of the AMC’s most productive players this season. But what stands out just as clearly is the way he has embraced campus life — building relationships, engaging with younger fans, investing in his teammates, and growing as a student and leader.

Deion shares his journey from Jonesboro High School championships, through prep school and JUCO adversity, to finding renewed purpose at Williams. He reflects on what it means to compete with joy, to represent the university well, and to anchor his life and game in faith.

This conversation offers an honest look at development — not just as a scorer or defender, but as a young man learning how to play, lead, and live for something bigger.

🎧 Hosted by Mitch Mathis as part of The Williams Pulse Podcast Network.

Recommend a guest: https://williamsbu.edu/thewilliamspulse/#form

A few key stats... 

27 PPG (Conference Leader)

AMC Leader in Steals

Multiple Player of the Week Honors

36 points & game-winning layup vs. CBC

Jonesboro HS State MVP | 3× State Champion

Snow is in the forecast, Spy Week is about to begin, and there’s a lot happening on campus. In this early-release episode of The Williams Pulse, the SAB team breaks down everything WBU students need to know for the week ahead.

From snow-day tips and how you’ll get official campus updates, to Spy Week logistics, chapel, basketball games, and upcoming events like the Spring Involvement Fair, Black History Month programming, and Galentine’s celebrations—this episode is your one-stop guide to staying informed and ready.

Whether you’re heading home, staying on campus, or gearing up for a full week of events, we’ve got you covered.

In this episode of The Williams Pulse, Jessica, Big Sip, and a student co-host walk you through what’s happening at Williams this week and how future Eagles can jump in. From Preview Days and VIP Days designed to help students experience campus and get fully enrolled, to MLK Day schedule changes, trivia night, chapel with Jordan West, theater auditions, Open ResHall, and a stacked basketball slate in the SMC, this episode is your quick start guide to campus life at WBU.

Sign Up for a Preview Day: https://williamsbu.edu/preview

Learn More about VIP Days: https://williamsbu.edu/registration/

Stay up-to-date at WBU: https://williamsbu.edu/calendar/

In this kickoff episode of The Right Way to Play, host Mitch Mathis, Athletic Director at Williams Baptist University, sits down with Madyson “Shoe” Busselle, standout shortstop for the Williams Lady Eagles Softball team. Shoe shares her journey from Bald Knob to Williams, how faith guided her transfer from OBU, and what it means to find her true fit on and off the field. The conversation touches on perseverance, leadership, and even her calming hobby of Lego building.

To learn more about athletics at Williams, please visit: https://wbueagles.com/landing/index

To recommend a guest on the podcast, please visit: https://williamsbu.edu/thewilliamspulse/

Feeling maxed out, stretched thin, or guilty for even thinking about rest? In this Pulse Check episode, campus therapist Taylor Jeffery breaks down what real self-care looks like for busy college students and why it is about sustainability, not selfishness.

She unpacks three practical types of self-care—restorative, protective, and integrative—and shows how small, consistent habits can help prevent burnout and keep you grounded throughout the semester.

If this conversation hits close to home and you would like to talk more, it is easy to get on Taylor’s schedule by visiting williamsbu.edu/counseling to request an appointment.

This long‑form episode of The Williams Pulse welcomes Dr. Brett Cooper—better known across campus as just “Brett”—for a wide‑ranging conversation about three decades of life and leadership at Williams Baptist University. From coffee breaks with founder Dr. H.E. Williams and the early days of Chapel in the gym, to Cash Hall band stories, Harry Potter movie nights, and the rise of a vibrant residential campus, Brett traces how Williams has grown into the beautiful, Christ‑centered community it is today.​

Host Bill Jeffery talks with Brett about arriving in 1993 as director of public relations, when Williams was still shaking off its community college image and only about a third of students lived on campus. Brett shares vivid snapshots of campus before Manley Chapel, before the Swaim Administration Building, and before the residence halls that now define student life, explaining how the university “started to look the part” of what it had always been academically and spiritually.​

Listeners will hear personal stories of campus legends, including founder Dr. Williams, daily coffee-break storytelling sessions, and faculty whose long tenures helped shape generations of Williams students.​

The conversation moves off campus into Walnut Ridge and Lawrence County, where Brett describes how a strategic effort to be more involved in the community turned into a genuine love for the people and place. He unpacks the surprising growth of Beatles at the Ridge, the creation of Beatles Park and the Guitar Walk downtown, and the long journey to pave the six‑and‑a‑half‑mile rail trail connecting Hoxie to the Williams campus—just in time for its heavy use during COVID.​

Brett reflects on student life across the decades—from Cash Hall lobby hangouts and the Cash Hall / Calls From Home band, to drama team road trips with the Cast, to Harry Potter marathons organized by students determined to “fix” his movie backlog. He highlights how shared spaces, roommates, and residence halls like Nicholas and Butler have shaped a deep sense of community, and he remembers larger‑than‑life student personalities who brought humor, heart, and faith to campus culture.​

In the final stretch, Brett and Bill focus on Williams Works, the innovative work‑education program that allows students to earn an academically rigorous, Christ‑centered education while gaining real‑world experience. Brett shares how Dr. Stan Norman invited him into this role, why he sees it as one of the great blessings of his career, and how grace—not fear—shapes his interactions with students.​

Along the way, listeners also get to know Brett personally: his late‑bloomer love story and marriage in 2022, his love for photography, movies, guitars, kayaking the Strawberry River, and life in the Williams Cove neighborhood that he and his wife now proudly call home.

Season 7 of The Williams Pulse marks the beginning of a new chapter for the podcast and for campus storytelling at Williams Baptist University.

In this episode, Bill is joined by Jessica Coley, Director of Student Life, and Kaedynce Miller from Res Life to share why the podcast is expanding and how it will better serve the Williams community this semester.

Listeners will hear about the new podcast format, which now includes multiple episodes each week focused on student life and campus events, athletics and student-athlete stories, and long-form conversations that go deeper into life, faith, and purpose at Williams. The conversation also walks through what students can expect as the spring semester begins, including move-in, orientation, the first week of classes, chapel, athletics, and a preview of major campus events coming later in the semester.

This episode sets the tone for what The Williams Pulse is all about—keeping students, faculty, staff, and friends of Williams informed, connected, and engaged in campus life.

Have a guest you’d like to hear on the show—or want to be considered for an episode yourself? Submit a guest recommendation at williamsbu.edu/thewilliamspulse.

Welcome to Season 7 of the The Williams Pulse — and happy new year from all of us over at The Williams Pulse.

In this long-form episode, host Bill Jeffery sits down with Taylor Jeffery, who officially joined Williams Baptist University on December 1, 2025, as the university’s new licensed campus therapist.

Taylor is a Williams alum (Class of 2012), a licensed professional counselor in the state of Arkansas, and a trauma-trained therapist with experience in community mental health and private practice. In this conversation, she explains what counseling looks like at WBU, how students can get help, and why privacy, trust, and dignity matter so deeply in the counseling process.

How students, faculty, and staff can schedule counseling (it’s simple and confidential)

What a first counseling session actually feels like (spoiler: very informal and student-centered)

How confidentiality works on a small campus

What EMDR therapy is and how it helps with trauma, anxiety, panic, and PTSD

How faith and professional counseling work together — without pressure or judgment

Why reaching out for help is a courageous step, not a weakness

Taylor practices from a person-centered framework, believing the client is the expert of their own life. Her role isn’t to “fix” people, but to walk alongside them, help them process their experiences, and connect them with the support they need — all within a safe, ethical, and confidential environment.

Students, faculty, and staff can visit williamsbu.edu/counseling, click “Request a Consultation,” and fill out a brief form. Taylor will follow up directly to schedule a time that works.

This episode is especially for anyone who has ever thought:

You’re not alone — and help is closer than you think.

During this episode, Taylor talks about EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) — a research-supported therapy used to help process trauma, anxiety, panic, and distressing memories.

If you’d like a simple, visual explanation of how EMDR works, these short videos are a great place to start:

What Is EMDR Therapy?

How EMDR Helps the Brain Process Trauma

These videos help explain why EMDR can reduce the emotional intensity of memories and why it’s considered one of the leading treatments for trauma-related symptoms.

This isn’t your ordinary episode of The Williams Pulse — this is Top Eagle Radio. The Student Activities Board has officially taken over the show to kick off Homecoming & Family Week at Williams Baptist University! 

Get ready for a fast-paced, laugh-filled ride as the SAB crew walks you through every event on the schedule—from Monday’s Fall Festival to Saturday’s jam-packed lineup of basketball, games, and the Homecoming Dance. Along the way, they’ll share insider tips, fun commentary, and a few friendly reminders (yes, you still have class!).

This special edition captures the spirit of Top Eagle — our Homecoming theme inspired by the boldness, teamwork, and heart that define what it means to be a Williams Eagle. Whether you’re a student ready to join the fun, an alum heading back to campus, or a parent wanting to relive the Williams experience, this episode is your official flight plan for the most anticipated week of the year.

So strap in, turn up the volume, and prepare for takeoff — it’s Homecoming & Family Week at Williams Baptist University, and Top Eagle Radio is cleared for launch. 

It’s season six, episode nine of The Williams Pulse—and this week, hosts Bill Jeffery, Nyla Clack, and Truett Brannon are back with laughs, stories, and campus updates you won’t want to miss. From Nyla’s family’s legendary “Clack Attack” to Truett’s road trip plans, the crew covers fall break fun, the upcoming Eagle Madness pep rally, and why this Friday’s Preview Day (October 24) might just be the best one yet.

They also talk about the brand-new Academic Fair, campus fall decorations, and what’s ahead for Homecoming & Family Weekend: Top Eagle Edition. Whether you’re a current student, alum, or future Eagle, this episode is packed with heart, humor, and reasons to visit campus this fall.

👉 Register now for Preview Day at williamsbu.edu/preview