While I am inundated with hot takes about the nature of privilege in the United States, mostly from un-original and unimaginative clergy and academics, it should be apparent to anyone with even a loose knowledge of contemporary events that, from the university system to the legal system, real privilege is made possible with money. So powerful is wealth that it transcends the supposed privilege of race and gender.
While I had figured this out some time ago [my father was the county treasurer of the Democratic Party for many years and I had occasion to overhear his lamentation about the perversions to public service created through greed and graft], I wish I had taken it to heart more than I did. I certainly would not have settled for working in professional areas that are notoriously low paying.
Make money, kids. Make a lot of it, as much as you can. Not only will it protect you, but you can pervert both good judgment and justice with it, if necessary.