Tina is a McKinley High School student and member of New Directions. From the beginning of the series she is connected with Artie Abrams, who quickly becomes one of her closest friends.As the choir is formed by director Will Schuester, Tina seems to be the most shy member of New Directions. She has a noticeable stutter that appears to improve as she takes on a larger role in the choir and gains more confidence. Tina is also very emotional and prone to jealousy when her romantic interests are threatened.Tina is one of New Direction's more versatile members. She is also very bright and serves as a member of McKinley's academic decathlon team, The Brainiacs.