Louisiana Culinary Institute Blog

Some people know from childhood exactly where they're headed. Ben Messina took a different route. He started college as a music major, took a gap year to find his footing, and leaned on his brother's encouragement before landing exactly where he was always meant to be: a professional kitchen . Now a senior in the Savory program at Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI) in Baton Rouge, Ben is weeks away from graduating in May 2026. He arrived at LCI with a love of cooking and a family connection to food. He's leaving with a world-class culinary foundation, a mentor who pushed him to be his best, and a dream of opening multiple restaurants of his own one day. His story is proof that the path to a culinary career doesn't have to be a straight line. Is It Too Late to Change Careers and Go to Culinary School? For Ben, food has always been part of the family fabric. Growing up in Baton Rouge, he spent time in the kitchen with his grandmother, learning to make snickerdoodles as a kid. Those early memories planted a seed. But Ben initially followed a different passion. He'd played trumpet and piano since a young age, so he enrolled at Southeastern Louisiana University to study music. It wasn't long before the questions started creeping in: "What am I actually going to do with a music degree?" He took a gap year to figure it out. And the answer, when it came, was simple: go back to his other love. Cooking. His brother, who owns a food truck, had been encouraging him to consider culinary school. More specifically, he encouraged Ben to look at LCI. And then, without warning, he signed him up for a campus tour. 

Being a great cook isn’t enough. Explore how LCI develops culinary leadership skills that prepare students for real-world kitchen management and career growth.

Discover how Louisiana Culinary Institute student Joshua “Brodie” Vance found confidence, career direction, and hands-on chef training on his journey to becoming a professional chef.

Discover how LCI baking and pastry student Emily Debarbieris found her passion through hands-on training, chef mentorship, and real-world kitchen experience.

In commercial kitchens, where expectations are high and service is real, failure becomes one of the most effective tools for learning and growth.

Discover how Louisiana Culinary Institute prepares future chefs with real commercial kitchens, teamwork training, and hands-on culinary education.

Meet Jacobian Taylor, a first-semester student from Memphis, Tennessee, who is already finding his footing and passion in the kitchens at the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

At LCI, mentorship isn’t just part of the program. It’s the foundation. Learn how guidance from chef instructors and classmates helps students grow into confident, capable culinary leaders.

For Kayla, a senior Baking and Pastry student from Gloster, Mississippi, food has always been a part of who she is.