Francesca Simone smiles for the camera at her North Smithfield home recently, wearing the crown and sash that comes with the title of Miss Rhode Island for 2008.

By JON BAKER

NORTH SMITHFIELD  — As advertised, Miss Rhode Island is a beautiful, thoughtful, energetic, bright and talented young woman.

That’s hardly a revelation.
What a lot of people may not know about Francesca Simone, however, is this: She’s about as laid-back and “regular” a person as one could find.
Sure, she grew up in a “mini-mansion” in this posh Lincoln Drive neighborhood, for years attended a school for “rich” kids — St. Mary-Bay View Academy in Riverside — and always has adored shopping.
But she also genuinely laughs at rather pathetic jokes, exists to watch the Red Sox win (Boston or Pawtucket, it doesn’t matter) and would rather “hang out” with friends than do something more glamorous.
“I’ve always considered myself to be just the ‘girl next door,’” she said as she relaxed in her parents’ living room on this, her 23rd birthday. “People know I went to a private school and private university, and that I live in a pretty nice home, but I don’t consider myself to be a ritzy gal. I don’t view myself any differently as any of my friends, and they know that.”
Fact is, Simone — the daughter of Geno and Debi and brother to Justin — is different. Back on May 24, at Woonsocket’s Stadium Theater, a throng of judges touted her as Miss Rhode Island pageant “champion” — and the state’s representative to the Miss America event slated for Jan. 24 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
There, she will take on representatives from the other 49 states and the District of Columbia in a variety of categories, including talent, evening wear, lifestyle and fitness, not to mention “thinking on your feet”  — the infamous on-stage query.
“I’m so excited about this,” she grinned. “I can believe it now, because I’ve had time to take it all in, but at first I was shocked. I remember, at about 10 p.m., Saturday, May 24, I was on stage in the finals, and I was in tears before my name was announced. When it came, I just lost it. Call them ‘water works.’ It was my entire life finally coming to fruition; I was going to get my chance to represent my state of Rhode Island, and I’m absolutely thrilled.”
Turns out, this was the third time Simone had attempted such a laurel. In 2006, she captured the “talent” award but finished as first runner-up. Just last May, she again gained the “talent” phase due to her phenomenal, operatic singing voice, but placed only in the second runner-up position.
“I was disappointed; it was difficult to accept being first runner-up in 2006, but I put pressure on myself to do it again,” she stated. “I figured there was only one place to go, and that was up, and I didn’t (in 2007). That was even tougher, but I knew a lot of the girls, and they told me it takes more than a year or two to win a title.
“I had put a lot of years into it, and slowly I started to realize I had done well the previous two times,” she added. “I also knew that I had won the talent competition both years. I’m the type of person who sets high goals for herself, so I thought if I continued to work hard, develop my platform, perfect my talent and interviewing skills and put forth the best product, maybe the third time would be the charm.
“It was!”

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The Simone women have been involved in pageants for quite some time.
“I decided to try a third time this year because this has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl,” she said. “I’ve been watching Miss America since I was about three, and I just loved it. It’s been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember. My mom used to compete in pageants, and my aunt always loved watching them.”
Debi, now a teacher at Burrillville High School, became Miss Rhode Island National Teen-Ager in 1974, and finished second runner-up in the 1977 Miss Rhode Island competition, placing first runner-up the following year.
“This had nothing to do with following mom’s footsteps,” she offered. “We just liked watching, and we still do.”
Her parents had always instilled in her a passion to do well not only in school but other activities, and Francesca didn’t disappoint.
A competitive figure skater in her younger years, she became an Ice Skating of America age-group world champion. While at Bay View, she earned Rhode Island and National honor societies status while finishing eighth in her graduating class of 2003. She participated in the Bengals’ Advanced Chamber Chorus, and for five years (grades eight to 12) was a member of the Rhode Island All-State Chorus.
In fact, when she was 14, she sang in Paris and Rome for Pope John Paul II.
While at Providence College, Simone originally wanted to chase a career in biology/pre-med, but quickly decided to switch to music. As a freshman, she auditioned for the school’s Select Chorus and won a spot. In 2007, she stepped up to soloist, performing with the chorus before the St. Petersburg and Moscow conservatories.
That year, she earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance. and is now working toward her master’s in the same field of study from the Boston Conservatory. Eventually, she hopes to become a leading soprano for the Metropolitan Opera.
The winner of dozens of awards and honors, she also has acted as a Rhode Island Music Educators Association adjudicator; a student ambassador for the Providence College Music Department; a sectional leader/conductor for the Junior Providence Singers and Treble Choir; “Adopt a Choir” mentor at Ponaganset Middle School; Franklin Blades’ “learn-to-skate” instructor; and secretary for Amnesty International.

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Still, Simone’s main project, and her Miss Rhode Island/America platform, is working as founder of FACT (Families of Alzheimer’s — Carrying the Torch), an organization dedicated to raising awareness of the disease worldwide.
“I became involved with Alzheimer’s because of my paternal grandmother, Elenora Simone,” she somberly stated. “She was diagnosed in 1993, when I was eight, and I continued to watch her suffer as I grew older. I decided I wanted to reach out to everyone who had to deal with the disease. I lived with it as a child, teen and adult. When she died in 2003, just before my high school graduation, I decided I would try to help out.
“I want to talk to young adults, explain to them that I understand what they’re going through. I know I can justify their feelings. I used to be afraid to go to the hospital because my grandmother didn’t know who I was. I can relate to others with the same worries.”
At this point, there’s no time for summer fun. She not only works as a Boston Conservatory business office assistant, but also is trekking to appearances statewide. She already has attended auctions, a Smithfield kindergarten graduation, a Cranston accordion recital, a Memorial Day parade and Big Brothers meeting in Warwick and a Rhode Island State Ballet gala.
In her spare time, she exercises daily with spinning and weight lifting.
“Right now, my dream is to become Miss America, but I have to be realistic,” she smiled. “The pageant is number one now, but I’m still looking forward, after graduating from the conservatory, to teaching music at the university level.”
Turns out, her brother Justin has the same idea. A gifted pianist, he just graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. and has been accepted to the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Geno Simone stood near his driveway watering flowers when he was asked what his daughter’s Miss Rhode Island title meant to him.
“I think it’s fantastic,” he said proudly. “It’s an amazing moment in time. The whole thing is, when you get an opportunity, you’ve got to jump at it, go for it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Fran has made the most of it.”