Stacey Bess

Stacey Bess is an award-winning educator with great insight into the hearts of children in need. She believes that the way to most effectively teach children any subject is to treat them with love and kindness.

Bess began her teaching career at The School With No Name, located inside the Salt Lake City shelter, where she taught math, reading, and self-worth to homeless and transient children. By the end of her first term, she was discouraged and often distraught by the circumstances facing the children who were so easy to love but whose lives were so insecure. Often, she wanted to give up but decided the children deserved her best efforts.

While working at The School With No Name, Bess chronicled the heart-wrenching stories of her students so she would never forget how far these children had come. After reviewing the stories, she discovered profound life lessons and eventually published a book, "Nobody Don’t Love Nobody."

After Bess published her first book and gained the support of the Utah community, people began to notice Bess and her unusual success with “hopeless” children. She has won prestigious local and national awards. A highlight came when she was honored with the esteemed National Jefferson Award, along with First Lady Barbara Bush, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackman, and Ambassador Walter Annenberg.

A dynamic keynote speaker, Bess engages in groups large and small, sharing the lessons she learned that changed her life as she taught hundreds of homeless children. Her story continues to change lives as her audiences are inspired to become involved in their communities. Audiences around the nation have discovered the treasure of Bess and the magic she works with children.

Bess and her husband Greg have been married for 44 years and have six children. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Utah. She continues to be a leading advocate in the nation for the educational rights of impoverished children.