BY DAVID PERLMUTT dperlmutt@charlotteobserver.comAlex Tribo is 23, and, for a time, she believed she wouldn't live past 20.
During that self-described "dark period," she developed self-destructive tendencies that moved to drug abuse. She experienced homelessness, and as her life spiraled out of control, she gave up on college.
Now look at her: Thursday, she'll graduate with an associate degree in science from Central Piedmont Community College and a 4.0 grade point average. Her commencement will feature speaker Jill Biden, the nation's second lady, who teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College and has taught at community colleges for 30 years.
