A new elective class offered this spring semester — called GEMS — gave middle school girls an opportunity to gain confidence and poise as young ladies, focusing on developing their beauty on the outside and the inside. During the final day of the twice-weekly class on June 4, the students received special “Diamond” and “Sapphire” certificates for completing the course, which was developed by Mrs. Elaine Santo, a retired teacher and former Miss Delaware.
“I loved calling these girls God’s gems because they are so very precious and valuable in God’s sight,” Santo said. “Our outward beauty comes from the inside and we spent time in class learning about what God’s Word says about beauty and memorizing Bible verses that provide insight on how we should think, speak, act, and react.” At the end of every class, Santo said she made sure to remind her students to “be the best that you can be.”
GEMS is an acronym that stands for “Girls Empowered for the Master’s Service” and this is the first time that Santo has presented her unique program in a school setting. She developed the curriculum about a dozen years ago at the request of several parents at Hammonton Assembly of God, where she attended at the time. The first class she held in the church was so well-received that doors opened for her to expand it into a one-day conference in 2012. Since then, she has held a number of conferences throughout South Jersey.
Santo said GEMS is based on Proverbs 31:10-31, which describes the characteristics of a virtuous woman. She is now putting the finishing touches on her GEMS program, including creating teacher and student manuals and resources, such as PowerPoints and games, to be able to publish the curriculum and reach more students in schools and churches across the country.
Santo has deep roots in education. She served as a public school teacher for 21 years, teaching 8th grade math in the Galloway Middle School and special education at the Belhaven Middle School in Linwood. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 education and special education, a Master’s in educational leadership, and is certified to be a principal/supervisor.
Her passion for teaching young women to be confident and look their best comes from her own life experience. While attending the University of Delaware, she entered the Miss Delaware scholarship pageant in 1975 and won. The next year she competed in the Miss America pageant.
“Competing in the pageants is where I learned confidence, poise, and etiquette,” Santo said. “I also developed the ability to speak to large groups of people without thinking twice, and I have continued to draw upon all those skills throughout my life.” Santo said the knowledge and experience she gained through her pageant days, combined with her love for the Lord and the wisdom found in God’s Word, enabled her to develop the GEMS program.
Santo now lives in Smithville and has two children. Her daughter, Gina Wilson, is the high school math teacher at ACS and her son, Frank Santo, is a Galloway Township Councilman. In addition to teaching her GEMS program, Santo serves in full-time ministry as the New Jersey State Representative for Aglow International.