Cover of “Your First Ski Trip! A Kid’s Guide for Your First Ski Adventure," written by Recreation, Sport and Tourism graduates Charlie Hoffmann and Sean Baptist.
Provided photos of RST graduates Charlie Hoffmann and Sean Baptist, who met in the online master’s program and later collaborated on a children’s book about skiing.
Online education is sometimes perceived as a solitary experience.
But for Charlie Hoffmann and Sean Baptist, graduates of the College of Applied Health Sciences’ Recreation, Sport, and Tourism (RST) online master’s program at the University of Illinois, it was the beginning of an artistic partnership.
Despite never meeting in person, Hoffmann — recreation director for the Borough of Rumson in Belmar, New Jersey — and Baptist — a project development coordinator and illustrator with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation — united through their shared love of skiing and snowboarding. Together, they created “Your First Ski Trip! A Kid’s Guide for Your First Ski Adventure.” The illustrated children’s book is a blend of their professional expertise and personal passions, designed to teach young readers the joys and safety essentials of snow sports.
Learn more about how the RST online program brought Hofffman and Baptist together and their artistic collaboration in this story by Sam Rink.
And visit Illinois Online’s graduate programs to learn more about how to turn your passion into impactful work.