Mostly because it will make you happy. It will, won't it?

Her point though, isn't all that poor: I am in debt from school and make less than people who started out in Any Old Job™ and passed me, economically speaking (no debt and are now at comparable pay).

So, she's not completely wrong, as far as the technicalities. But if you lost this job, it might be easier to get another with a degree, etc, etc, etc. And it will be what you want. That's always worth points in my book.