Background

Organization	I am apart of Army ROTC and a student at Penn State University.
Professional Title	Virginia Mulkey
Bio and Background	I am a senior at Penn State University. I am involved in Army ROTC, and I also am an intern for the Penn State Athletics Marketing Department.
Why I am a Force for Health® Member...	I am a member to improve my health and learn how to better take care of myself.
How I use the Force for Health Network Tools	I use them to get inspiration on new activities In should do in my free time, inspiration on what to eat, and inspiration on how to improve my mental health.
My inspiration	My dad inspires me because he works a full time job and still makes sure he gets in a daily workout and eats to make sure his health is good. He also reads and takes time for himself each day to work on his mental health.
Location	State College
What would you like people to know about your community?	My community is very involved and focused on fitness. I believe that we could do a better job prioritizing our mental health and work on our skill set for improving it.

My Citizenship Health Factors

Some of the factors that have been challenging for me have been...	It has been challenging for me to maintain a balanced level of stress in my life and not get too overwhelmed or anxious.
It's important for me to be part of my community's health because...	I want to help others improve their lives so that my community has a more positive environment and prioritizes themselves and their health.
Some of the strength of my community health factors are:	My community focuses heavily on the fitness aspect of health, and I often see many people working out daily in some capacity.
Some of the challenges in my community regarding certain health factors are:	My community struggles with normalizing excessive drinking, and also forms of hazing or bullying in certain organizations.
I believe I can help improve my community's health by...	I can improve their health by being a mentor and friend to others, so that when they are struggling they will have someone they can reach out to for help.

Advancing the DREAM - What it means to me	This affects me because the community around me is very diverse and all come from different backgrounds, so it hurts to see them not get the care that they need and deserve. It means to me incorporating DEI initiatives into different elements of our communities, to strengthen our network, and to make sure all individuals feel included and valued, as they should.
My Action Pledge to Advance the DREAM?	My action will be to focus on the mental wellbeing of the people around me. This will ensure I am checking on all of my friends from different backgrounds. I will make sure to listen to their stories and try to understand these situations from their perspectives, even if I cannot relate. I then can give my best advice or ask how I can help with the situation.