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Veteran alumnus's donation to send two APSU art students to Rome

Herzel Sireci and Shirley Layer receive scholarships to study abroad in Rome.
Herzel Sireci and Shirley Layer receive scholarships to study abroad in Rome.

(Posted Tuesday, April 11, 2023)

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Retired Master Sgt. Chris Sanderford traveled the world during his 18 years in the Army, but Austin Peay State University’s Art in Rome Study Abroad program took him to places he never had the chance to see.

Now, Sanderford is giving back to his alma mater with a scholarship donation to send two veteran art students - Herzel Sireci and Shirley Layer - on this year’s trip to Rome, which is scheduled for May 21-June 1.

“It’s only two weeks, but so much is packed into that time,” said Sanderford, a general studies program graduate who visited Rome in 2019 while working on a second bachelor’s degree in studio art. “[You’re] able to see all these museums, history, culture and food in a short period of time and still be able to walk away as if you’ve done it all. There’s no way I’d have been able to do that on my own without having gone through that program, and to leave with as much information and appreciation for everything that I was able to see out there.”

Dr. Tamara Smithers, professor of art history, organizes the study abroad program every two years so her students can experience Rome’s history, art and culture. She also helped arrange a scholarship committee to anonymously select two military-connected awardees for Sanderford’s donation.

To receive funding for the trip – which costs more than $7,000 per student – Sireci and Layer had to submit short essays explaining how it would benefit them.

“At first I was really doubting myself and thinking I might not get it,” said Sireci, a sophomore graphic design major. “Then one day I was just opening my emails, [saw that I was going] and started crying. I never thought I would actually get picked, so it was a very emotional moment for me. Having the opportunity to really see where the Italian Renaissance started just fills me with joy.”

Sireci is an Army veteran who joined the service after graduating high school in 2018 and retired in September 2022 to pursue higher education. She hopes studying in Rome will help her broaden her horizons as an artist.

“I’m excited to see architecture like the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, and also Michelangelo’s work,” she said. “It will definitely give me more of an open mind to different styles of art. I’m an abstract worker, and I haven’t really immersed myself in areas like realism. Going on this trip will let me discover new ideas and develop my style in the future as a graphic designer.”

Layer, a senior animation and visual effects major, said she is excited for the trip because she was born in Germany but never had a chance to go back to Europe.

“For me it’s about the culture, the environment and being able to essentially go back to where the Renaissance all began,” she said. “Personally, I’m really interested in augmented reality, virtual reality, cryptocurrency, the metaverse, artificial intelligence and all these things. I feel like right now we’re going through our own modern-day renaissance, and it’s really exciting.”

Layer joined the Air Force Reserve in approximately 2008 and served for six years, including a year-and-a-half's worth of active-duty service. She plans to create an augmented reality tour of museums and historical locations while in Rome.

“It’s amazing being in a physical location that has all this history and energy, and being able to create something that enhances what you’d already experience,” she said. “There’s so much that’s already there, and I want to figure out what I can contribute and how I can leave my mark in a unique way.”

Sanderford said he was glad to be able to help the students go on the trip, especially since he struggled to afford it in 2019. His donation fully covered the tuition, fees and program costs, including airfare, associated with the study abroad trip for both recipients.

“Everybody knows student loans and tuition are a heavy cost, and study abroad programs have additional fees,” he said. “I was in a good place [financially] as a nontraditional student, and I took out a student loan so I could go … it was the only student loan I’ve ever taken out. There are tons of students in this program who want to go on the trip, but they want to be able to afford their tuition, travel costs and everything else.”

Sanderford said the program also needs enough participation to make the trip to Rome, so he wanted to make sure a group of students could experience it this year.

“I think anyone who’s interested should take the opportunity to go,” he said. “It’s fun, but it’s a lot of work and a lot of walking. You’re going to break in that new pair of shoes very fast, but it’s totally worth it in every way.”

For more information about Austin Peay’s Art in Rome Study Abroad program, visit the Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange’s Terra Dotta platform.