Apr 18, 2019
Billy Staples was born and raised in Phillipsburg, New Jersey
and graduated from Phillipsburg Catholic High
School. After graduating Kappa Delta Phi from East
Stroudsburg University in 1993, Billy developed a unique style of
teaching English that helped win him several awards, including
1998-2000 nominations for Disney’s National Teacher of the
Year. 
Through the support of Chicken Soup for the Soul author Jack Canfield, Staples and Rich Herschlag signed a book deal for Before the Glory. Billy spent the next 12 years on the road promoting education and reading.
Building on the success of Before the Glory, Billy, Linny Fowler, and Judy Tierney founded the scholarship group B.E.S.T. The program has provided financial support and mentoring to over 70 college students and encouraged them to return to their communities to give back. In his recent success, Billy's newest book Success Stories From the Heart (from the publishers of Chicken Soup for the Soul) hit Barnes & Noble stores in February.