Meh, degrees may be a thing for suckers in the future. Out of high school, get ratings, instruct, go to a regional with flow through a few years after that. A lot of people will get on with the majors this way and will beat their degrees counterparts by a few years or more. Or the degrees person might never make it if the majors are clogged up by flowthroughs and military.

Maybe too late for you though as it sounds like you're at a non flow regional.