Breaking Through Career Barriers with a Purdue Global Degree
Carlos Bonilla is ready for a future of possibility in his new supervisory role at Eli Lilly and Company. (Purdue Global photo/Kelsey Lefever)
Carlos Bonilla earned his online bachelor’s in organizational management and advanced to a leadership role at Eli Lilly
Have you ever sat in a room, knowing you could be a leader, but feeling like there was no ladder for you to climb? Purdue Global graduate Carlos Bonilla (BS organizational management ’25) knows exactly what it’s like to feel stuck in that room, so he did something about it.
Bonilla craved measurable, actionable steps toward becoming a leader, but the guidance from his company was vague. The requests were abstract. The steps to take were nonexistent.
Acting as the leader he knew he was, Bonilla decided to build his own ladder.
Breaking through the barrier
Bonilla decided a bachelor’s in organizational management through Purdue Global would be the ideal path to showcase his leadership skills in a concrete way.
“I needed an opportunity to be able to break through these barriers. Pursuing my degree with Purdue Global allowed me to show that I am worth more, and I’m willing to put the work in,” Bonilla says.
By studying organizational management, he was able to prove that he has what it takes. And it opened his eyes to exciting opportunities beyond what he originally thought possible.
In fact, while he was earning his Purdue Global degree, his development mentor started him on the steps toward a lead position, but he wanted to keep a lookout for other growth opportunities in the job market.
Shortly before graduation, he took a chance at a job fair. That’s where he met representatives from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company. They were searching for a supervisor for a new facility that wasn’t built yet.
More confident in his capabilities than ever, he shared his work experience and his 4.0 GPA. The company took notice.
“The backing of Purdue Global has enough weight behind it that I was able to get a supervision role without even being graduated and having the degree in my hands yet,” he says. “That was a win for me.”
Where Bonilla had been stuck, now he had upward mobility. Where he was frustrated, now he was inspired. He went from feeling confined to a lower-level position to climbing a ladder he built himself.
Bonilla moved into a leadership role he knew all along he could succeed in — with one of the strongest, most secure employers in Indiana.
Forging a path for others
The best leaders not only lift themselves up on a path to success, but make sure others have what they need to navigate their own path. And parenting is no exception.
“I always tell my family, ‘Work hard, play hard,’” he says. “My son sees what I did. He has that example. To be a working parent and to be an example for your kids, it’s exciting.”
Ultimately, with his new degree and new position, Bonilla can focus on setting that example for his kids and creating a better future for his family.
“It’s painful to say, ‘No, I can’t watch the movie,’ or ‘I can’t go to your game.’ But the fact is, when you cross that finish line, it becomes easy to become a yes person,” he says. “‘Yes, I will accept that promotion.’ ‘Yes, I will now have the free time to do what I want to do.’”
He’s setting that example for both his family and his colleagues.
“I’ve had multiple coworkers who saw my path to success ask me, ‘How did you do it? How can I do that?’ Even for the younger employees on my team, I say, ‘I 1,000% recommend Purdue Global for everything this program entails and the kind of doors that it can open.’”
Onward and upward
Since he was offered a position with Eli Lilly before graduation, Bonilla is excited to see what opportunities come next, now with his diploma in hand.
“I have limitless opportunities, so I don’t need to set a barrier for myself. The employees that are willing to pursue an education do not have any type of ceiling,” Bonilla says. “I have a great boss and work for a company that fully supports me, so now my possibilities are endless. I’m along for the ride, and I’m enjoying it.”
Thinking back to the time he was trying to find a way forward and frustrated by unclear guidance, Bonilla is thrilled his Purdue Global degree became the catalyst he needed to prove himself as the leader he always knew he could be.
“I am proud to set that example for my kids. I’m also proud of the doors this degree has opened for me. If I didn’t have this degree, this level of education and experience, I don’t know if I would be where I am today,” he says.
BS organizational management ’25, Purdue Global
