Student Circle - Chairperson: Bedford Palmer Bedford E. Frank Palmer II, M.A. is a Dr. James E. Walker Presidential Fellow, and a Doctoral Student in the Counseling Psychology Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Bedford was born and raised in San Diego, California. He received his Masters degree in research psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and his Bachelors degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine. Over the course of his higher education, Bedford has done work as a student leader and activist as Chair of the Afrikan Student Union at UC Irvine, Vice President of the Black Psychology Student Association at Cal State Long Beach, and most recently as the Chairperson Elect for the National Student Circle of the Association of Black Psychologists. Beyond this Bedford has worked as a teacher in the inner city, an outreach officer and advisor for first generation, low income, minority and disabled students and as a head residential advisor for the Cal State Long Beach Upward Bound Program. Bedford has been profoundly influenced by the Ashanti Proverb  “I am because we are, and because we are, therefore I am.” He believes that each individual owes his or her success to those that came before, and that because of this, they must dedicate themselves to making a way for those who will come after. Because of this, he has dedicated himself to the ideals of mentorship and community activism.