I do structural and systems level engineering for heavy industrial equipment. My work is very involved and difficult, but also very rewarding. I went to a small community college for a year and, and then transfered those credits over to a big public land grant university, which helped a lot financially. Graduated into the great recession, and so I spent a year working as a technician, before getting laid off and working as a roofer for my uncle, before his company went under and tried selling thrift store items on eBay for about a year before landing a "real" engineering job. Then got laid off again a few years later when Covid hit, then worked a company for a few years before the factory got closed down and moved overseas, and now working my current gig.

My point being: even when you have a very clear idea of what you want to do for work (like I did), you're likely to find yourself on a long and windy road.