ASHEVILLE — Instead of working at McDonald's or Ingles, Cody Tipton's high school job was selling Xanax to his classmates. He hid the pills in a bag and could make $80-$100 a day selling them. At the time, getting caught was the last thing on Tipton's mind, but now he says getting arrested is one of the reasons he will graduate from Erwin High on Saturday. “If I hadn't got caught, I would have never made it,” said Tipton, now 20. “I hate I got a charge, but it set me straight when I was doing wrong.” Among the hugs, goodbyes and tears that come with graduations are students who overcame extreme obstacles to get a high school diploma. Across Buncombe County, there are students who will celebrate something this week they never thought would happen. When Tipton started selling drugs in ninth grade, schoolwork wasn't on his priority list. He just cared about making money. The day he got caught, he was taken out of school in handcuffs and charged with possession of a schedule IV drug with intent to sell, manufacture and deliver. He was kicked out of school for a year and placed on probation. Tipton was forced to get a legitimate job and worked 40 hours a week at Bojangle's. After a year went by, he re-enrolled at Erwin High, where he makes As and Bs. Even though he went from making $100 a day to making $200 a week training to be a McDonald's manager, Tipton said he will never go back to selling drugs. “Everybody I knew said if I came back, I wouldn't make it,” he said. “That's what really made me mad. The reason I wanted it (to graduate) so bad was because they said I couldn't have it.” Different challenges Unlike Tipton, Giovanni McKnight has never been in trouble. His obstacles were things out of his control. McKnight, who graduated from Asheville High on Thursday, grew up in Liberty City, one of Miami's poorest and most dangerous areas. When he was 8, his family moved from the housing projects to a homeless shelter. “I remember my first time going (to a shelter),” said McKnight, now 19. “It was weird because I didn't realize other people lived there, too.”

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