I'd say get into active investing, not passive index funds. Active investing could mean angel investing, or it could be public equity investing, but what it means is put your money into things you want to learn and help grow. That way, you greatly protect your downside. If your investment goes to zero, at least you learned stuff you are interested in along the way, made friends in the industries you like (could lead to job opps down the road), and helped nudge the world in a direction you want it to go. You'll probably make plenty of mistakes in the first 10 years, but by the second decade you'll be better at it and then if your second decade performance is good you can beat the passive markets and get all those benefits at the same time.
It's a real shame the USA has made it hard for individuals to invest in stuff they know.