There are a ton of things I could talk about around this topic but the one I will stick to is about your job hunting story. HR departments just the chucking applications in the trash of the people without degrees, that is literally prejudice, to prejudge. Going to school doesn't mean the applicant can do the job or vice versa, it doesn't even mean they learned anything or their degree was in something needed for the job. All it means, in my opinion, is that the graduate suffered through a grueling test in memorization for a handful of years and so it is more likely they will suffer through a thankless job.
Thanks for the shout out Lea, much love and appreciation as always. Can't wait for part two