As part of our ongoing series profiling students - past and present - from the Otago Polytechnic Central Otago Campus, this week the Queenstown Times catches up with one new graduate who credits the polytechnic for changing his life.
However, a twist of fate took him on a completely different career path - one in which he has just graduated from the Otago Polytechnic Central Otago campus as a fully qualified level five chef. The icing on the cake was receiving a special award for Most Improved Chef of the Year.
Mr Wilson, who turned 18 on Saturday, said last month's graduation ceremony signalled the end of two years' hard work, which began with a conversation with a mate.
While at school, Mr Wilson had been doing work experience at Luciano's restaurant where a friend told him about a cookery project designed for young people wanting to get into the hospitality industry. An able home cook, he was keen to try it.
Project Beyond the Basics was designed by Summit Youth (now the Wakatipu Youth Trust) and involved six sessions with top Queenstown chefs in preparation for a cook-off for 80 guests at contributing project partner, Crowne Plaza, the same hotel in which his father, Paul, had begun a career as a chef 32 years previously.
On the night, Mr Wilson was named winner of the first prize - a level three cookery course at Otago Polytechnic Central Otago campus.
On November 24, he graduated with his diploma in Cookery and City and Guilds international qualification, after completing his three-year course in two years.
Since mid-2010, he had also held down a job at Gantley's, was responsible for cooking all hot and cold entrees, desserts and some mains.
"I was at Gantley's for three weeks of work experience and they offered me a job after my first day. Otago Poly was a fantastic place for me to be.
"I realised I was dyslexic which was why school had been so hard for me, but while theory was a bit tough, I loved the hands-on learning in the kitchen there.
"I had a fantastic programme manager in Jo Brun, who I can only describe as the best person in the world. She was able to help me organise my studies around work and a knee operation and has been a great support over the past two years.
"My qualifications have set me up to go anywhere and work anywhere. Winning the scholarship and doing these courses have set me up.
"I know I can get a job, a good job anywhere in the world and I'm going to start next year in the Aussie mines where they're looking for good chefs and pay really well."
