An Associate degree is the first step towards a higher degree. It is a broad education for general education requirements of a Bachelor's degree.
With an Associate degree, you can then port it to the Bachelor degree of your choice. Even though most Associate degrees have some kind of specific subject focus, it is mostly used to fulfill general ed.
When you earn a Bachelor's degree, you have more focus on a specific subject. Most people stop here. Yet, going on to a Master's degree should be the aim of every scholar. A Bachelor degree is becoming the basic degree needed for entry level employment. You don't want to just reach that level.
A Masters degree will bring the most enjoyment of all the degrees. There are many opportunities to focus on just what you want to learn, and how you are going to receive the training, i.e., online, in person, and hybrid. The only thing stopping you is money. You should pick a degree that can be monetized, in order to be able to pay back the fafsa loan you will surely need.
And, that is kinda sad, because this old world needs creative, artisan type people who enrich our world immeasurably, but just don't get paid enough to actually live in prosperity.
Without a Masters degree, you cannot teach in the public arena. So, this guy isn't qualified to teach even at the Associate level.
PhD? "Piled Higher and Deeper."