The littlest decisions in your life have the ability to change everything. Growing up, I never imagined that the best path for me to take would be guided by a love of gambling, but God has a way of generating random elements into something amazing. Fate first grabbed ahold of me when I decided to attend my first study group in the spring of my sophomore year in high school.
Study groups don't work for me. Everyone has different learning styles and mine consists of sitting in an empty room, rewriting all of my notes, and covering every inch of the material. After years of avoiding them, it was only under the threat of my first AP test and after hours of studying on my own that I accepted my friend Riley's invitation to study among other people. That decision changed everything. Because while the study session went better than expected, I was introduced to the world of gambling through Riley's suggestion of playing blackjack.
Aside from knowing that it involved cards, I knew nothing about the game. But after a quick explanation and a dozen rounds, I discovered a new passion. Whenever a new hand was dealt, the thrill of possibility shot down my spine. Every swift shuffle of the deck, the gentle clatter of betting chips, and the constant presence of luck swept me away. After a few months, I was teaching myself how to card count online with the Hi-lo system pictured below. One year later, I can card count through a deck in under 30 seconds.
As another year passed, my interest dwindled, but when the time to pick my first set of college classes came around, the impact of my decision to join Riley's study session peaked. At Gustavus, freshmen are required to take first-term seminars, or FTS's, which revolve around an unusual and specific topic of interest.
One of them was entitled, "Let's Gamble."
From the first sighting of it, I was hooked. Because how many people can say that they took a college class about how to gamble?
"Let's Gamble" turned out to be one of my favorite courses. Not only did I find the class fascinating, the professor interesting, and the skills compelling (in short: the odds are never in your favor), but I also left with two amazing friends. Other freshmen I knew complained about being bored or subjected to copious amounts of homework, but I had neither issue.
Much to my surprise, gambling's influence on my life wasn't finished. Spring semester introduced me to the January course, or J-term, entitled, "What Happens in Vegas" for 2016. The main reason I chose to take this J-term was because it was related to my FTS and interest in blackjack. It wasn't a class in my English or Communication Studies majors or the study abroad course I planned on taking. But it did promise two weeks in Las Vegas in the middle of a Minnesota winter and networking with college alumni.
Once again, this choice ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. After dining with a representative from Caesars Palace, touring Zappos and the city's most successful night club, visiting the R&R ad agency, and more, I experienced the trip of a lifetime.
To top it all off, I walked away with the confidence and knowledge to score the tourism internship at the Mall of America (the topic was a large part of my interivew). Even though the Mall isn't associated with gambling, the trip increased my interest in the tourism industry.
No matter how insignificant a decision is, it has the power to transform your life. There is no way I got where I am today through coincidences. The book of Romans promises that, "all things work together" and somehow my singular decision to attend a study group spiraled into a series of events that shaped my life.
