A few years ago, when he was going to Yorkville High School, Matt Pitstick saw college recruiters roaming his school who surprised him and made his friends laugh. They were recruiters from a university more than 700 miles away: the University of Alabama.

On the next 21st: Illinois colleges discuss how they're working to help international students adjust to life in a new place. Plus, we'll talk about a program that allows high school juniors and seniors to earn credits toward their associate's degrees and meet a performer making a career in political comedy.

This story was reported as part of our series “Unmet Needs: Living with mental illness in central Illinois.”