Earning Multiple Culinary Arts Degrees: The Competitive Edge of a Double Major

From busboy to bartender to understanding the delicate inner workings of the front of the house, Zackary Stubbs had seen everything outside of the kitchen until now. After relocating home to Louisiana from California last year, Zackary is now entering his second semester in the savory program at Louisiana Culinary Institute, with plans to make it a double major with a baking and pastry degree as well. 

While he never personally worked in the kitchen throughout his career in the restaurant industry, he always saw and was aware of what the line cooks were up to in the kitchen. It was always an interest of his, and when you combine that with what he learned from his grandmother, pursuing a career as a chef was not a surprise. “My grandmother was always cooking. She would send me out to make a roux in pancake griddle,” remembers Stubbs. 

The most fun and rewarding aspect of culinary school for Zackary has been interacting with the staff and meeting interesting people with various backgrounds, and yet a shared passion for creating and cooking. “I work with Chef Colt during the leisure class sessions. Teaching people how to cook and create is very rewarding because they now have something new they can share and pass on.” 

The biggest challenge of culinary school has been absorbing all of the information and getting familiar with the operations of a commercial kitchen; however, despite learning the ropes and the feeling of being in a foreign environment, the creativity that culinary arts allow is Zackary’s favorite part. “You can still push the boundaries. There is always something new to explore and learn,” says Zackary. “I get bored easily, and there is never a shortage of what you can do or learn; there is always room for growth.”

“Zack has shown real promise this first semester at LCI. He’s been punctual, participates in extracurricular activities in the school, and has grasped the information given to him. I believe he will continue to shine here at LCI," says Chef Mike Dunn.

While Zackary is currently focusing on his education and helping out with catering opportunities from time to time, he has aspirations to design and develop his own line of prepared meals. Serving as a private chef is also an attractive goal in addition to owning a restaurant. All of these options would be perfect outlets for his creativity.