I will add my 2 cents real quick. IT IS ALL DUMB LUCK and a little bit who you know. I was at a regional for 17 months and never upgraded. Got hired on at Spirit and then furloughed. I was 25.

You seem like you are really trying to take peoples advice here. So get a degree in something other than aviation and fly on the side then make a career out of it. You might end up in a good position based on your age. That is all if the world doesn't end in 2012.