Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts: Saving Time and Money with ProStart

Charlie Ruffolo • September 18, 2019

Pursuing an education and career in the culinary sector is a commitment. Hard work, long hours, and a passion to create are all a regular part of the job. However, if you are a high school student, and you’ve decided that a career in the kitchen is what you want, there is a program that can fast-track you to the job of your dreams.

 

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year high school program that teaches everything from culinary techniques to management skills. This curriculum provides real-world experience and opportunities. Participating in ProStart will create a foundation that will last a lifetime. It also demonstrates your commitment to the craft; something that top tier culinary schools, like Louisiana Culinary Institute, look for in prospective students.

 

ProStart is an elective program for high school students that can pay dividends in a variety of ways. Two of the most important things it offers is the reduction of time and money you need to spend in culinary school. When you complete the ProStart and earn your Certificate of Achievement you automatically earn a $2,000 scholarship. The savings continue based on the curriculum provided by ProStart, which includes the essentials like an introduction to sanitation, and many other kitchen skills. So not only are you equipped with the techniques and knowledge need as a culinary professional, but these courses can transfer to LCI. In fact, Louisiana Culinary Institute is so passionate and committed to the ProStart process, that they will actually provide professional instructors to schools in order to create more opportunities.

 

Between scholarship opportunities and transfer credits, the amount of total time and money you will spend on culinary school as a ProStart graduate will be significantly less. This creates a simple and efficient segue from high school to culinary school into the workforce; meaning you can be fast-tracked into a career, working more and earning more sooner.

 

If you have a passion to cook and create, see your high school’s guidance counselor about participating in ProStart. And when the time comes to decide on a culinary school, LCI is the premier culinary school of the south and offers frequent open houses, campus tours, and more.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PROSTART

From Music to Kitchen Mastery: Student Spotlight on Ben Messina

By Charlie Ruffolo • March 25, 2026
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. 
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Leadership and Culinary Skill: Why Being a Great Cook Isn't the Same as Being a Great Leader

By Charlie Ruffolo • February 26, 2026
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.
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