New face, familiar place: Meet the next Nanae liaison

Emily Aldous’ family lived in France for 2½ years when she was a child, and the experience sparked in her an enduring passion for connecting cultures. 

“My earliest memories were in a foreign country, and that really informed my life going forward,” she said. 

On March 19, Aldous began her next life chapter when she took off for her new position as the Acton Nanae Network’s coordinator of international relations in Nanae, Hokkaido, Japan, where she will help facilitate the connection between her hometown and its sister city.

Aldous, a 2025 graduate of Dartmouth College, studied French and Spanish at Acton-Carlisle High School, even giving up a weekly lunch period to squeeze both language courses into her schedule.

She also interned in Cape Town, South Africa — an experience she said helped solidify her desire to work internationally.

But Aldous struggled to find a way to realize her goal of going abroad. “I’ve always had such an interest in international relations,” she said, “but it’s always been a very nebulous thing for me of how you pursue a job in international relations.”

Now, she will spend the next two years helping plan student trips to and from Japan, teaching English, and finding new ways to connect Acton and Nanae ahead of the 30th anniversary of the towns’ bonds in 2027.

Her first challenge, according to CNN’s organizers, will be to coordinate the April visit to Nanae of student musicians from the CCHS band, orchestra, and chorus.

She succeeds Jack Brox McCarthy, who returned from a 3½-year tour of duty as CIR this past January. 

A happy discovery 

Aldous was working as a substitute teacher when she discovered the new opportunity in the pages of her hometown newspaper.

“My mom and I read The Acton Bridge every weekend together,” she said. “It’s kind of a little ritual for the two of us.”

One morning, the two came across a letter to the editor announcing the coordinator job opening. The position appealed to her immediately, combining multiple interests she had developed over the years.

“I just love that I’m always going to be in a supportive role to make sure that everyone feels welcome and taken care of and has their needs met so that they can have an enjoyable experience in a foreign culture,” she said. 

Even before she took off for Japan, Aldous was planning her first trip back to Acton with Nanae students. 

“I’m really excited to make an itinerary and bring these eight to 10 high school students to Acton,” she said, “and show them some of my favorite places in the town.”