October 21, 2014

The Xref jury dinners were hosted in Los Angeles and San Jose last week and the results for HMC’s Xref travel fellowship are in—congrats to Los Angeles’ Nicole Dancel and Ontario’s Jonathan Orr!

During the last eight years of HMC’s Xref Travel Fellowship program, 13 employees have had the opportunity to visit 16 countries around the world. Staff are invited to submit a proposal that explains their travel destination and purpose; two winners are chosen each year and are awarded a $4,000 travel stipend and five days of paid time off. Xref is an incredible opportunity that enables HMC’s employees to embark on adventures that they otherwise may not take, and to share their experiences with the entire firm.

Nicole’s Xref proposal, Another Dimension, will send her to Pula, Croatia to experience the Dimensions Music Festival, which is held at a 2000-year-old Roman amphitheater. She will observe and document the connection made between space and music, and draw connections on how this experience affects her perception of the world around her.

View Nicole’s Xref proposal >>

Jonathan’s Xref proposal, Inspired by Nature, will take him on an adventure to Southeast Asia to study the natural environment and document new sources of inspiration. He will travel to the Coral Triangle in Southeast Asia to embark on a multi-day diving expedition to explore the diversity of plant, vertebrate and invertebrate species. Next, he will continue on to Singapore to explore the integration of nature preserves in a dense urban fabric.

View Jonathan’s Xref proposal >>