Rachel is the daughter of an interracial same-sex couple. She is Jewish and was named after Rachel Green from "Friends". She joins the glee club. She hopes that fame will increase her popularity and to find a boyfriend. She is bullied by members of the school cheerleading and football teams. She is, however, excited that quarterback Finn Hudson joins the club. She then develops a crush on him. The two kisses in the episode "Showmance". However, Finn tells her to forget that it happened and continues dating his girlfriend, cheerleader Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron). Rachel quits the glee club. She does this because she is not given a solo she wanted. She is then given the lead role in the school musical, "Cabaret". However, she later quits the musical and rejoins the glee club. She returns because she rather have friends then be alone. She has a short relationship with another glee club member, Puck (Mark Salling). He is also Jewish, and is a football player who used to bully her. Rachel later breaks up with him because she still has feelings for Finn. She later learns that Quinn's pregnancy was not caused by him but by Puck. She then tells Finn the truth who then attacks Puck. Finn then breaks up with Quinn and drops out of glee club. He returns on the day of the group's first major competition, the Sectionals. He does this to undo damage by cheerleading couch Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). The group makes up a completely new set list. Rachel starts the show with a solo of "Don't Rain on My Parade". They win by an agreement decision.