Alichia was born and raised in Baltimore, MD where she studied at the Polytechnic Institute and Lansdowne High School. After graduation, she went on to earn a certificate in radio and broadcasting from the Broadcast Institute of Maryland, where she learned all aspects of the industry. She worked on-air in Ocean City, Maryland, then studied acting in NYC before moving back to Baltimore and working at WKYS in DC and then at WERQ Baltimore, the station she grew up listening to. In 2015, Alichia moved to Georgia for her husband to take a job, and they settled in Gwinnett County. Alichia worked at B 98.5 and Kiss 104.1 Atlanta part-time before taking a full-time on-air position at Magic 102.1 Athens doing the morning show. Then just last summer, the owner of Oconee Communications started a new station and recruited Alichia to host an afternoon drive show and also a midday show on their sibling station. You can hear Alichia In The Afternoon playing the best R&B and old school hip-hop on 95.9 The Beat of Athens every weekday from 4-8p and if you are in the lake area, you can hear her spinning classic hits on 97 Big FM weekdays from 10a-3p.
What do you love most about the work you do?
Being able to have a positive impact on peoples’ day, like when someone says, “you cheer me up” or “you inspired me” or “you helped me get out of bed.” If I have a positive impact on someone’s day or offer them a little nugget of information that makes their life easier or better or just entertain them with a laugh or a funny audio bite or a great song, if I can make them have a better day with my enthusiasm or content, that’s the best part. I also like having a creative outlet and doing creative stuff.
When you’re not working, what are your favorite things to do in and around Athens?
I love going to restaurants and I like to support the restaurants that have supported me when I first came to Athens. Cali N’ Titos has been really good to me and I love their tacos. Osteria Athena, that’s an Italian restaurant that I really love and they’ve supported me in the past as well. And I also love going to shows. I’m looking forward to going back to the 40 Watt to see some shows next month. Anything to do with music–R&B, hip-hop, soul music, I’m there. I like international music too. I heard there’s a Dominican restaurant in Athens that has latin dancing, someone just told me about that so I’m going to check that out soon.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I would really like to see the pyramids, in Mexico and in Egypt. I’ve become more interested in history now as an adult. Why I didn’t like it in high school, I don’t know. But it’s so fascinating, those pyramids. I want to check them out.
If you could see any band or musician, anywhere, who would it be and where?
My dream situation would be, I wish I could bring my mother back and go see Bruno Mars in Hawaii with her. If I had any kind of genie in a lamp type of dream, that would be something I’d love to do. She loved him, I love him, and I’ve never seen him perform live. And Hawaii would be amazing because he’s from Hawaii. I feel like there would be a lot of love because he’s got that vibe from the Hawaiians. And also I’d be on a tropical island with my mom.
Do you have a favorite book?
It’s gonna sound really cheesy, but the one book I’ve always gone back to is The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale. I like biographies and autobiographies and self-help books. I know people judge those self-help things but they do help me.
Do you have a favorite movie? Or, do you remember the first movie you saw in a theater?
It really depends on my mood. My son and I watch a lot of sci-fi and Marvel movies. I really like a lot of movies. I love the old Julia Roberts stuff. I love a good rom-com. I really can’t choose! That’s like asking your favorite child. I feel like there’s certain movies that everyone should see but I can’t choose one. One that I’ve watched many times and that I wanted my son to watch was Forrest Gump. I love Steel Magnolias, too.
What advice would you give your younger self?
To believe in myself. And that I don’t need validation from anyone else; to believe in my vision and don’t worry if anyone else believes in it. It’s easier said than done.
If you could put any message on a billboard, what would it be?
Have faith and surround yourself with good people.
If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where?
My mom. I really don’t care where we would go, but it really would be good if we could just go to Hawaii and see Bruno Mars!
What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word “home”?
Warmth, family and love.
