Baking and Pastry School: Meet LCI Student Celli McDonald

Celli McDonald has always enjoyed cooking and creating, which is what led her to Louisiana Culinary Institute in August of 2023. When she enrolled in the Advanced Baking and Pastry program at LCI she knew she wanted to learn from the best. “When I looked into culinary schools I simply typed in ‘best culinary schools’ and I found LCI,” remembers Celli.

“I’ve always known that I could cook. I knew I wanted to be a chef when I saw how creative I could be by doing something that I love!” The most rewarding part about her culinary experience so far has been having the opportunity to live out her dream of becoming a pastry chef. But culinary school is not without its challenges. “The most challenging part has been not cutting my hands in knife skills.”

Before enrolling at Louisiana Culinary Institute Celli worked in the restaurant industry for three years. “My favorite thing about culinary arts is the versatility of techniques and highlighting prominent cultural ingredients,” says Celli.

Celli has big plans after graduation. “One of my goals after graduation is to establish myself as a professional pastry chef. I would like to build up my repertoire and clientele.” Her passion, drive, experience, and new knowledge and skills will take her far.

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.

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.