One thing I have tried to force myself to realize is that people that ask me about guns are not me, are not gonna be like me, and probably don't WANT to be like me. This is a fairly recent realization!
The young man in question is probably NOT in the lawnmower phase, he is in the dawn of his life and thirsty for knowledge, and most likely striving to set himself apart from the crowd. If he is a pending ME he understands mechanisms, perhaps appreciates things that are analogous to classic cars, and doesn't want to show up at the range with the exact same Glock 19 that all his buddies bought. He also might be wanting to reward himself for his graduation with something that is not so pragmatic.
Some of the best linked content was right on the money, for agencies like LAPD and FBI. The young man in question is not likely to be joining either of those agencies and might enjoy the care and feeding of something that takes a little effort and attention.
If he comes from a family that shoots and hunts, there may be a reloader in the woodpile, narrowing the ammo cost delta to an insignificant level and introducing another mechanical tinkering aspect to the endeavor a young mechanical engineer would probably enjoy. If not, then a 9mm 1911 is not as elusive as it once was.
What might BE a bit more pragmatic choice could be one of the Ruger SR1911s, they seem to be coming out of the box not perfect but pretty close.
My lightweight Ruger 9mm SR1911 shipped yesterday. Jeez, there I go expecting people to be like me!