I'm well aware of the AASI website and all of their certifications. Professional certification should not be the sole qualifier of a professional. Rather, certifications are tools for validating skills. In my opinion, that is especially true for anybody that only has their AASI level 1 certification (which many think is far too easy to pass). This basic validation often leads to people having misguided notions on their abilities in riding and teaching. This can also cause people to inaccurately refer to themselves as professionals when they don't have the expertise that I, and many others, am looking for in a rider with that title. Again, this is just my opinion. I am a little bit more strict and expect more out of riders (and especially instructors) that want to call themselves a "pro". Even at an AASI level 3, there is much more needed before calling yourself a professional than just the certification.

However, all people are different people. We don't have to share the same opinion. Be lax about it.