Pamela Maldonado: How a Poker Hobby Turned into an ESPN Career

Pamela Maldonado—sports betting analyst for ESPN and the Tennis Channel—joins The Way to College Podcast to share how she transformed curiosity, hustle, and self-taught skills into a national media career. We explore: Her bold move from Texas to Las Vegas with no plan Breaking into media without a journalism degree Lessons from poker that apply to life and work How she built a brand around analysis and storytelling The power of leaning into what brings you joy Pamela’s story is a reminder that success isn’t always planned—and that sometimes, taking a chance on yourself is the best bet you can make.