Learning the Skills to Open a Bakery: The Advantages of a Baking and Pastry Degree

Charlie Ruffolo • May 6, 2022

Lafayette native Brittany Veillon is in her final semester at Louisiana Culinary Institute, completing her baking and pastry degree. It was during her first job at a local grocery store in the heart of Acadiana that she discovered her love for baking. Her role in the bakery section evolved into cake decorating and unlocked her passion and creativity. “I love having the opportunity to express myself through the cakes that I bake and decorate,” says Brittany. 

 

LCI was Brittany’s first and only choice when it came to deciding where she was going to pursue her education. In addition to the new skills she learned and the relationships she made, Brittany also learned how to step out of her comfort zone and thrive doing what she loves. While the baking focus of her curriculum was her focused she also enjoyed the aspects of the savory program that intersected with her baking and pastry coursework. “Brittany has been a pleasure to work with in the kitchen. She’s shown strong dedication to this craft, striving only for perfection. Her passion for baking & pastry shows in everything she creates,” says Chef Kevin Foil.

 

For anyone considering culinary school, Brittany highly recommends it. “Show up everyday, stay focused. You have a lot to learn and experience. It flies by and is very enjoyable!”

 

After graduation Brittany will be taking her talents to the happiest place on Earth, Disney World, where she will participate in a culinary internship. Once completed, she looks forward to adding to her experience, learning new skills and perspectives, then opening her own bakery. 

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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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