Growing up, Omaha communications professional Angela Chicas told her
mom, “I’m going to get paid to talk.’ and her mother laughed at such a
notion.
“I don’t think I thought it was really going to happen, myself” said
Chicas, “It was a nice goal. It’s another thing when it actually
happens.”
The Bryan High School graduate pursued her communications ambition as
a University of Nebraska at Omaha journalism major with an emphasis in
public relations and advertising. Then, in 2015, she got hired as
sales and promotions coordinator at Radio Lobo. She was only 20 years
old. In 2017, she moved to NRG Media, where she soon became co-host,
with Rita Rodriguez, of El Party Show on La Nueva.
“I remember my first day in radio, I told my mom, ‘Look, it it is
going to happen, I’m going to get paid to talk.’ I got my first taste
of it and I really loved it. I got the opportunity to see how radio
works from the back and from the front and how each piece is necessary
to the other. I like the solution side of it – sponsorships and
partnerships.
“Every day is not the same in radio.”
Chicas dreams of one day being an on-air personality with a large following.
“In radio the morning show is your ultimate goal
because it’s prime time. Everybody wants to be on air in prime time
because that means you have the most listeners.”
A major market is her ultimate goal, whether in her native Los Angeles
or in Chicago New York, Florida or Texas.
But for now at least she’s mostly on the other side of media as a
full-time marketing generalist with Centris Federal Credit Union. “I
really enjoy it,” she said.
She aspires to “be a chief marketing officer,” ideally for some type
“of entertainment, media-related company.”
She interned at Centris and so impressed management that they hired
her full-time straight out of college.
Chicas, 24, has long impressed people with her drive and energy. She
learned the value of hard work from her El Salvadoran immigrant
parents.
“They both brought the mentality that they needed to work really hard,
and that’s what they did. It’s very admirable. They have no regrets
over ever coming here because they’ve had so many opportunities.
They’ve had children here, they’ve established themselves completely.
I thank them for making that decision because it’s put me where I am
today.”
After growing up in North Hollywood, “it was a little bit of culture
shock” for Chicas when she and her family moved to Omaha. She was 11.
“Omaha wasn’t what it is today culture-wise,” she said.
“In L.A., a lot of people walk and take public transportation. There’s
a lot of Hispanic businesses. You just see a lot of diversity –
Hispanic, African American, Asian. That wasn’t the case when I moved
here in 2006.
“It took me a while to find my place here.”
Her parents impressed upon her and her two older brothers the
importance of higher education. Chicas took it to heart.
“My brothers didn’t want to, that was their choice, but for me it’s
very important. I always enjoyed school and I just always viewed
college as the next step. Even getting one of their kids to graduate
college is a huge success for my parents. My family has always been
extremely supportive of my education and career. Whatever it is I’ve
needed, they’ve always been there.”
Chicas may next pursue a master’s degree.
She’s found mentors along the way in UNO Multicultural Affairs
Associate Director and Summer Scholars Program Coordinator Elizabeth
Blanco Rodriguez and in La Nueva Program Director Jose Ramón Munoz.
In terms of on-air talents, Chicas tries modeling herself after
Melissa Rios, a mooring co-host with Nick Cannon
on L.A.’s Power 106 FM.
“If there’s anybody’s steps I would like to follow, it’s hers.”
Taking a cue from Rios, who got her start on a regional Spanish
language station similar to La Nueva, Chicas and co-host Rita
Rodriguez infuse El Party Show with an upbeat Spanglish, millennial
vibe.
“We play music that is still Latino,” Chicas said, “but that is bit
more pop and urban. And we get away from discussing standard topics.
We have fun and try to be a little more lighthearted.”
Though her broadcast experience has been in radio thus far, she
doesn’t rule out television.
“I think if that opportunity ever came, I would take it. I feel
comfortable being in front of the camera just as much I do being in
front of a microphone.”
With her high profile, Chicas is cognizant of being a role model for
young Latinas.
“Many times in the community I have girls who are thinking about
college and aspiring to be journalists ask me for advice, and I love if I could help or influence one person to pursue higher education
and the career they dream of, then I’m all for it.”
Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.com.
Angela Chicas follows marketing and media path
