Student Spotlight: Tatyana Baker’s Artistic Rise in Baking & Pastry at LCI

Tatyana Baker is in her second semester at the Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI), where she specializes in the Advanced Baking & Pastry Culinary program. Originally from Mississippi, she graduated from Brookhaven Arts School and briefly attended college in North Arkansas before returning home to be closer to her family. Encouraged by her mother to pursue a career in culinary arts, she enrolled at LCI and quickly discovered a passion for transforming ingredients into edible works of art.

Why Choose Louisiana Culinary Institute

Tatyana’s mother had always admired LCI’s reputation as a top culinary school in the nation and appreciated that it was so close to home. While Tatyana didn’t originally picture herself in a culinary program, the moment she experienced LCI’s hands-on environment, she was hooked. The creative challenges and opportunities quickly made her feel she was in the right place.

Building Culinary Skills Through Hands-On Learning

From mastering bread basics with Chef Colt to exploring creative techniques in Introduction to Baking & Pastry with Chef Ned, Tatyana has embraced every opportunity to learn. She says the instructors don’t just teach—they inspire.

“The chefs here genuinely want you to succeed and give you every tool to make that happen.”

Her work with Chef Colt in leisure classes and with Chef George in team-building events has built her confidence for stepping into the real world after graduation.

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Supportive Culinary School Culture and Student Life

Tatyana describes LCI as a place where classmates work together as a team, each person contributing to the group’s success—both in and out of the kitchen. That spirit of teamwork has been just as valuable as the technical skills she’s learned. One of her most memorable moments so far was making pasta completely from scratch. While the process was time-intensive, the reward of seeing the finished product made every step worthwhile.

Culinary School Success and Career Opportunities

Tatyana’s ultimate dream is to open her own bakery, blending artistry and skill to create unique breads and pastries. Her time at LCI has provided her with both the technical foundation and the creative confidence to bring that vision to life. She loves the school so much that once she completes the Baking & Pastry program, she plans to continue her studies in the Advanced Culinary Arts Culinary program to further expand her culinary expertise.

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.