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Alisha Fernandes-TV anchor-cum-producer and the founder of the lifestyle brand ‘Allycaral’.
Alisha Fernandes is a TV anchor-cum-producer and the founder of the lifestyle brand ‘Allycaral’. She was born in Kuwait and brought up in Mapusa, where she currently lives. She did her schooling at St. Francis Xavier’s High School, Mapusa following which she completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication from St. Xavier’s College, Mapusa.
Since her college days, she always had the zeal to learn new things and explore more professions so as to understand what she wanted to do in life.
During her first year, she did an internship in the print media at The Times of India, Goa. There, she wrote several articles including many full-page articles that got published in the Goa edition of the Times of India. In her second year, she did an internship in electronic media at Prudent Media, Goa. There, she got exposure to broadcast media and thus began her journey of trying hands in electronic media. After her final year, in her campus recruitment, she got interviewed by Prime TV and got the opportunity to work with them. With that began her journey of learning and exploring new possibilities. She is presently working with Prime TV. Her love for learning didn’t just end with her BA. She did her PG Diploma in Journalism and recently completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication as well.
As a child, Alisha says she always liked photography, recording videos, and collecting articles of interest, especially those of celebrities and cricketers. She says that she always had and still has a soft corner for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, former Captain of the Indian Men’s Cricket Team. While working at Prime TV, she got an opportunity to meet MS Dhoni at an event that Dhoni had com for in Goa. She remembers every moment of that event as if it was nothing but a dream come true for her, to see the person she always looked up to. Although she couldn’t get a picture with him on that occasion, she believes that the day isn’t far when she’ll get a picture with him.
Despite being a journalist, getting into the field of journalism wasn’t Alisha’s goal since her childhood. Back then, she wanted to become an Air Force Pilot because of her great interest in the Indian Air Force’s Sukhoi Su-30 MKI Fighter Jet which she always wanted to fly.
Alisha believes in being kind and spreading kindness. She recalls that once when travelling back home from work, she met a young girl on the bus who was crying and sobbing. She didn’t know her but approached her as she left the bus and went up to her and told her “Don’t worry, all will be fine!” the girl looked up at her with a faint smile and wiped her tears.
“I somehow felt I helped someone that day. Maybe it was something she wanted to happen or at least wanted to hear”, says Alisha.
Alisha recently started her blog named ‘Allycaral’ and calls it her best venture to date as she always wanted something of her own to be known to the world. In her blog, she documents travels, life experiences, and her feelings. She likes to experiment with it every year and tries to introduce something new every year. Her yearly calendars are widely loved all over Goa and also internationally. Along with blogging, she also started her journey as vlogger on YouTube where she shoots videos, documents places of interest, and also collaborates with celebrities. She tries to give Goan talent a platform on YouTube as they also deserve the right exposure which they sometimes don’t easily get.
Alisha says that one of the biggest challenges she faces as a vlogger is finding appealing and engaging content. Content created for television isn’t the same as content created for vlogs, and making it engaging is a whole new challenge, she says. She has no major goals for the future at the moment, but if everything turns out well, then she won’t mind venturing into film production someday.
Alisha recalls an interview she had done with child prodigy, Atharv Natharkari. Atharv was very young and excited as he was going to be on television. The interview was lively and fun because of the rawness in it. She never gave him any questions nor did his parents ask for any. They just let him be himself which made it one of the best and one of the most memorable interviews she ever did. Although she still has the dream of interviewing MS Dhoni! (and if you are reading this MS Dhoni, know that she is looking forward to interviewing you.)
Alisha’s message to all Goan youth is - “Dream on!”. Till you don’t dream, you won’t have goals, and till you won’t have goals, you won’t have the spirit to be a go-getter. Go chase your dream and win this world!”.
