As kids, we loved a good magic show—we were fascinated by it, and now as adults, we're just as mesmerized by magicians. Even after all of these years, we're still wondering about the secrets behind ...

To help pay for his undergraduate education, Elias Garcia-Pelegrin had an unusual summer job: cruise ship magician. “I was that guy who comes out at dinnertime and does random magic for you,” he says.