Hey! i want to be a pro photographer too, but its really hard out there in the industry.. Pretty much anyone can take good photographs, and it doesn't require much skill - its all the contacts you have and the lenses. ..and i think its a very male dominated job..
i'm going to to visual communications @ uws if i don't make it into my 1st pref this year.. My ex-boss is a pro photographer and he told me that he started out assisting other photographers.. and my other friend is about 28, he started out as a photo-journalist in hongkong but i don't think his career as a commercial photographer looks very promising here.. So yeah, u pretty much need superb people skills and connections.