Earning Multiple Culinary Arts Degrees: Meet Paige Anderson

Hailing from north of Lake Charles, Longville, Louisiana native Paige Anderson has had a passion for cooking and creating since she was a young child. “I believe I was around 5 years old when I started ‘cooking’. It was when I got to stir the rice, water, and salt together in the pot,” remembers Paige. Fast forward to today and you’ll find Page in the classrooms and kitchen labs at Louisiana Culinary Institute where she’s in her first year as a baking and pastry student, before pursuing her advanced culinary arts degree.

Before landing in Baton Rouge Paige earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a minor in entrepreneurship from McNeese State University. Knowing she wanted to embark on a culinary educational journey, Paige considered Augustus Escoffier in Austin, Texas. However, the Cajun and Creole offerings at LCI drew her to the Red Stick. “My favorite type of food is the southern comfort food that my Grandma cooks on Sunday, so that class really made the decision for me.” Class, campus, and curriculum options were also key factors in Paige’s decision. “I also came to LCI because it is a smaller school with more one-on-one interaction, and I like the way the classes are set up so that I could get both degrees.”

During her time at LCI Paige has found that working with all of the chefs and getting real-world experience with Bacon and Fig Events has been incredibly valuable. “Paige is a talented and dedicated student. She is always excelling in the kitchen,” remarks Chef Instructor Colt Patin.  When it comes to actually performing in the culinary arts, the freedom and creativity have been invaluable. “The creativity and artistic ability that you get to display is my favorite part. While there are some rules to follow, unlike most professions, cooking is something that you can play in and have fun with. It truly is an art form in my opinion.”

While Paige currently works with Bacon and Fig Events, her main focus is on school. After earning both of her culinary arts degrees from LCI she has some big plans. “I hope to go to the Disney internship, but after that I want to go home and open a plate lunch and pastry restaurant in my hometown. I want to spread my love for food and cooking with the community that I have always loved and called ‘home’.”