With the education system graduating thousands upon thousands of people every year, a degree is more of a label these days rather than a testament of who you are as a intellectual/person. I'm not sure about other fields, but in the science and engineering fields, the name of your degree doesn't matter much once you graduate and move on to industry or higher education. What people care more about is what experiences/skills you can offer. The lines between this engineer and that engineer, this scientist and that scientist all blur out, and it's your ability, creativity, and attitude that defines who you are as an intellectual. I think that Hmong people, both old and young, should try to adopt a similar view also. Don't put someone (or yourself) on a pedestal simply because your degree is something "prestigious". Judge people and yourself according to their character, their words, and their actions. Those people who have "high" degrees and "high-class" careers but look down on others are not people I respect at all. They clearly are too self-absorbed in their titles, and you shouldn't be afraid to call them out on that. They might have the brains in one tiny little area, but are trapped in a tiny world of their titles because of their arrogance. A well-rounded intellectual is someone who understands and practices humility while using their knowledge and abilities to better themselves and those around them.