Aloha! I'm Madison Hagio and I was born and raised here on the beautiful island of O'ahu. I attended Mililani High School and graduated in 2020. After graduation, I then attended University of Hawai'i West O'ahu where I began as a business major but quickly realized I fit better in the creative media program where I could study communications while pursuing an artistic field of study. If I were an artists tool I think I would be a palette. I would describe myself as a bright individual but sometimes I tend to be all over the place, much like the colors on an artists palette -- but despite the bits of inconsistency, if you work hard enough and think outside of the box those colors can create a masterpiece.
Personal growth is a vital part of life, especially for Gen Z navigating early adulthood and the workforce. This essay explores how experiences—both positive and negative—shape key skills like empathy, communication, and emotional intelligence. It highlights how challenges, including mental health struggles, contribute to self-improvement and a deeper understanding of ourselves and others, ultimately linking personal growth to broader community impact.
The concept of creativity has come a long way. The Old Greeks would call those creative forces muses, other religions referred to them as God. Today people still mostly treat creativity as an aha moment outside the area of influence. However, just by looking at the creative process one can tell, that creativity and creative work is more than just that one "Aha-Moment" (insight). It is clear that generating ideas demands planning and preparation, identifying something of interest like a problem, an opportunity or a challenge, doing research. This then leads to thinking of a solution, allowing time to incubate and iterations before arriving at something “complete.” Students learn that hard work is what makes their ideas come to life and sticktuiveness is what helps them get better.
Madison turns reflection into storytelling with her heartfelt web series on personal growth in early adulthood. Inspired by her research on how life’s ups and downs shape empathy, emotional intelligence, and communication—especially for Gen Z—Madison explores the messy, beautiful journey of becoming. Through honest conversations and relatable narratives, her series shows how personal challenges can lead to powerful self-awareness and positive ripple effects in our communities.
Tune in and grow with her on Growing Pains.