‘I Can Finally Move Forward Now That I Have My Bachelor’s Degree’
Elizabeth Rawles (BS accounting ’21) says her Purdue Global degree set her on a path to achieve the dream she’s had for 10 years. (Purdue Global photo/Kelsey Lefever)
How an online degree in accounting made the pieces fit for this Purdue Global grad
The way Elizabeth Rawles lights up when she talks about her experience as an accountant ... it surprises people.
“It’s hard for people to understand — most everyone really hates numbers and anything to do with taxes,” she says, smiling. “But to me, it’s a puzzle. I like that everything just makes sense once you get it to where it should be.”
That idea — moving things around until they click — would come to define her educational journey as well. After years of coursework, career changes, life interruptions and credits that didn’t always count, she found Purdue Global, where it all finally fit together.
Even now, the picture isn’t complete. But for the first time, Rawles can clearly see what she’s building toward.
Changing course
Education didn’t unfold in a traditional sense after high school for Rawles (BS accounting ’21, Purdue Global).
Initially, she pursued a career in the medical field. But a series of health challenges forced her to slow down and reconsider how she would move forward.
Needing a part-time job during her recovery, Rawles took an internship during tax season at a local accounting firm. The role was simple at first — data entry, filing, learning the basics — but it changed everything.
“I realized pretty quickly that I loved it,” she says. “I loved the logic. I loved figuring out how everything connected.”
What began as a short-term role turned into a longer one. Rawles accepted an administrative position at the firm and continued to build experience in the field while earning her associate degree. The more she grew into her role, the more she realized where she was headed.
Becoming a certified public accountant (CPA) had significantly more earning potential and would allow her to offer more to a firm and the local community she loved.
It would require a bachelor’s degree, 150 semester hours of education, passing a four-part exam, and a few years of work experience.
She decided to start with the bachelor's, but finding a program that would recognize the work she’d already done proved more challenging than she expected.
Advancing toward her dream job
Rawles explored multiple options for completing her bachelor’s degree, but the same problem kept arising.
“I tried a lot of places,” she says. “But I kept running into issues with the credits I earned for my associate degree being accepted.”
The breakthrough finally came from a friendly face.
As Rawles continued to take on more responsibility at the accounting firm, her boss recognized both her potential and the obstacle in her way. When her boss heard about Purdue Global and its approach to credit for prior learning, she encouraged Rawles to apply.
“Purdue Global was able to take almost all of my credits that I’d previously earned,” she says.
With that foundation in place, Rawles completed her bachelor’s degree in two years.
Just as important as the timeline, however, was the support she experienced along the way. As a working adult balancing a demanding job and major life changes (during those years, she got married and had a baby), she needed more than flexibility. She needed true engagement.
“My professors were very open to communication,” she says. “There were weekly check-ins, feedback and real conversations. It wasn’t just answering questions on a screen and hoping someone was reading them.”
That connection helped her strengthen the skills she was already using at work — and the “why” behind them.
For the first time, Rawles felt like the life she wanted was starting to take shape.
Earning her Purdue Global bachelor’s degree in accounting not only opened doors professionally — including multiple promotions and her current role as a staff accountant — it also gave her the confidence to keep aiming higher.
“Honestly, I think anything is possible,” she says. “Especially going back for my master’s degree. After that, I can become a CPA, which is what I’ve wanted to be for the last 10 years.”
She adds, “Without Purdue Global, I wouldn’t be where I am today — at work, in my family, in my community. It’s helped me continue to grow as a person.”
BS accounting, ’21
