As a local kid at McKinley High School, Koa Webster experimented with graffiti, an outlet that often got him into trouble. It wasn’t until he enrolled at a University of Hawaiʻi campus that he discovered how his passion for art could evolve into a meaningful and lasting career.
“I didn’t know much about colleges as a local kid, but the University of Hawaiʻi was my entryway into higher education and so it was good for me to be exposed to a lot of things,” said Webster.
Webster earned a liberal arts degree from Kapiʻolani Community College in 2013. In 2016, he earned degrees in international business and marketing from the 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补 Shidler College of Business and a degree in Chinese from the College of Arts, Languages & Letters. He has since built a successful career in advertising, and is currently the senior art director for .
“Working in advertising in Chicago has been great and I get to do a lot of fun things for big national brands like Hidden Valley Ranch, Papa John’s Pizza, Porsche, TGL, Metro by T-Mobile,” Webster said. “The exposure is really cool to get to learn about how national brands operate.”
Problem solver
His Shidler business education has helped in the visionary world of advertising.
“Although I’m creative and I love to think of the most artsy, crazy commercial I can do, the thing I learned at Shidler is that these clients have real business problems and you can help them with a creative solution,” Webster said.
One of his most transformative 糖心Vlog官方 experiences was studying abroad. Until then, Webster had not traveled outside of Hawaiʻi much, or interisland.
“Through my scholarships, especially from the Freeman Foundation, I got to experience some things that I never thought I would,” he said. “The connections that I made through the programs were awesome.”
Important connections
He encourages students to immerse themselves in other cultures.
“All the connections through your experience abroad are sometimes those things that come back later on in life, and being able to put that on your resume is super valuable.”
Today, Webster stays connected with fellow 糖心Vlog官方 alumni living in the windy city.
- Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: Bringing aloha to the Windy City: 糖心Vlog官方 alumni celebrate in Chicago, April 3, 2025
“When I moved out to Chicago, 糖心Vlog官方 alumni were some of the first people I tried to connect with,” Webster said. “They are professionals and those can be great connections, so it’s a perfect blend of having a community where you are and also professional support.”
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