Thanks all for the great words of wisdom. Based on some of the stuff I've seen here since lurking for the past week or so, I was expecting a bunch of one-liner snarkiness.
I'm definitely aware of the need to pay dues to get the good jobs. Nothing in life comes easy (unless you are rich... and I'm not), and that seems doubly true in the aviation world.
I'll be closely evaluating all the good wisdom you've shared and start making some phone calls to folks here at KCPS and KSUS. Between Anheuser-Busch, Edward Jones, Wells Fargo, Ralston-Purina, Enterprise, and the truckloads of millionaires we have in town, I'm sure there are plenty of people to talk to.