I know we’re supposed to look down on all non-math/science degrees and people who “follow their dreams” here but Mike Rowe parlayed a Communications degree and following his dreams into a pretty decent career.
Yeah, I just googled him. Looks to me as if he has never once had a real job in his life, and certainly never a dirty one. Spent his entire life in showbiz, and unless he is one in a hundred billion, he surely spent that life “chasing his dream” and “dreaming of hitting it big.” All very ironic.
I don't think that "looking down" on someone with a less-than-technical degree is at all what we're supposed to be doing, nor is that the message.
Mike's message is that following your dreams is OK, if those dreams are in a generally good direction. I read that he also implied that there's much to be gained in looking, "not for your dream job," but instead for opportunity. Opportunity is sometimes disguised by hard work, and sometimes literally, by crap.
I get the feeling that 20 years ago, Mike Rowe's dreams and passions didn't include his own TV shows and giving graduation addresses to college students, but he saw an opportunity and one thing led to another...