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Belonging Anywhere | Identity, Family, Music & Finding Contentment with Jermaine Ee
The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages
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What if being an outsider isn’t evidence that you don’t belong, but part of the path toward discovering who you are?
Jermaine Ee attended 14 schools while growing up between cultures, continually learning how to enter unfamiliar places as “the new kid.” Music became one of his first safe places, while the unwavering love of his mother taught him that his worth was never dependent on achievement.
In this deeply reflective conversation, Jermaine shares how his immigrant family shaped his understanding of sacrifice, success, identity, and home. He takes us from an American high school music room to USC, from helping immigrant families access financial aid to humanitarian work in Ukraine and ultimately to the creation of HeirLight, inspired by intimate conversations with his mother about mortality, money, and what we leave behind for the people we love.
Along the way, Jermaine discovered the power of his own voice and began redefining the identity he once tried to escape:
“Being an outsider is where I belong.”
Together, Melissa and Jermaine explore what it means to live between cultures, how a parent’s love can anchor us through uncertainty, why clarity can be an expression of care, and whether home is something we find in a place or cultivate within ourselves.
This is a conversation about legacy in its most human form: not simply what we leave behind, but how deeply we help others know that they are loved.
The Belonging Podcast is presented by Elev8 Villages, a nonprofit creating holistic, resource-rich villages where young adults who have experienced foster care can find stability, opportunity, and—most importantly—belonging.
This podcast exists because we believe belonging is not a luxury. It’s a human need. Every story shared here helps us imagine a world where no one has to walk alone.
If this conversation resonated with you, please follow, rate, or share the show with someone who might need it today. To learn more about the movement we’re building (or to get involved) visit Elev8Villages.org.
Thank you for joining us for this episode of The Belonging Podcast by Elev8 Villages - where belonging becomes a place we build together.
