Again, I thank all of you for your replies. I suppose I should elaborate a bit more on my situation and where I want to end up.
I am currently in the Mortgage industry and as many of you know...the interest rates over the last few years have made the industry very lucrative. I am not independantly wealthy, however I have enough saved to struggle through a few years of school, while still doing some loans on the side. My girlfriend (future wife) graduates this year and has secured a job that pays pretty well, she has offered her support both financially and emotionally.
My specific areas of interest are R&D of racing products for production vehicles, suspension technology, and designing tooling for manufacturing of these products. There are other areas of interest throughout the motorsports arena, but those just pop to mind as the ones that interest me the most.
I though long and hard about attending UTI or some other recognized mechanics school and turning wrenches as a living. I have friends that make 60-80K turning wrenches. I decided that for me, it was more of a hobbie and a passion that I use to MY benefit to prepare race cars for MYSELF

I would have a tought time making a living preparing race cars at the pace I like to work. I am very, very detail oriented and have often times been criticized for building "the overkill mobile." I build my racecars the way I like them, nice and clean and every single part one the car is refurbished or reconditioned in some way, shape or form. That way when I race (which I currently race with ICSCC in the Northwest), I know the only factor while I am on the track is the driver (myself), and of course mechanical failure of componets. Building cars that way gives me a great level of satisfaction and as goofy as this may sound, it really puts me in touch with the car....it the sense that I can feel exactly what is happening with the car because I have intimate knowledge of each and every nut, bolt and system on the vehicle.
<end self glory rant>
I could see myself working with CAD/CAM and a CNC Machine, designing and testing shocks, etc.
As of now, this is more of a realization that where I am and what I am doing with my "career", is not where I want to be.
Maybe I need to talk to people who have the job that I want and see what advice they have to offer?