Post-High School Culinary Opportunities: How To Earn Multiple Culinary Degrees

“If I enjoy it, why not make a career out of it?” pondered Elizabeth Verrett. It was this simple, yet clever question that led her to Louisiana Culinary Institute after she graduated from high school in Denham Springs only a couple of years ago.

Elizabeth has always had an interest in cooking that stems from her preparing meals at home. This interest has blossomed into a passion for creating, especially on the baking and pastry side. 

Elizabeth recently earned her Advanced Culinary Arts in Baking and Pastry; she had already completed the savory program at LCI and now holds two culinary arts degrees. While she considered a few other culinary programs in the state of Louisiana, Louisiana Culinary Institute stood out above the rest. As a participant in Pro-Start, she got to experience LCI firsthand through field trips to campus while she was in high school. Her Pro-Start curriculum also gave her a head start on her degree program at LCI in addition to tuition credit.

The time that Elizabeth has spent at Louisiana Culinary Institute has been interesting and rewarding. The relationships and lessons gave her an opportunity to learn, grow up, and step out of her comfort zone while improving her social and communication skills. From learning how to wait tables, to interacting with her fellow students and chef instructors, she quickly found herself talking more and making friends.

While the academic side and earning good grades have never been an issue for Elizabeth at any level, overcoming the social challenges and nervousness of meeting new people was a hurdle that she successfully overcame. 

“Elizabeth was already a wonderful student when she came to us, having taken ProStart classes in high school. She often brought in treats she made from home to share with students and staff, and she had the most imaginative and tasty improvisational cooking style. Everyone at the high school was wowed by her lemon cupcakes, her chocolate layer cake and her almond raspberry soufflé. She has clearly spent hours honing her craft and is ready to take the next step toward a career in the culinary world finishing both the culinary and baking and pastry program here at Louisiana Culinary Institute,” said LCI chef instructor Jeanne Mancuso.

“In addition to her talent with a piping beautiful roses Elizabeth has always been an empathetic and generous person. Her willingness to share her talent and culinary creations with others knows no bounds. She has never let her extracurricular interests get in the way of her schoolwork either, and has pulled off a 3.6 GPA. Elizabeth is a talented, well-rounded individual, and I cannot recommend her highly enough,” Mancuso continues.

The future is bright for Elizabeth. She is excited to gain experience and work her way up with different bakery jobs in the Baton Rouge area. She also has her sights set on Disney, creating innovative and delicious treats. “There are so many cool and fancy bakeries that I want to try and just keep learning more.”