Winnie Cooper

Living… in the same neighborhood as Kevin Arnold, in the most typical American suburb. Once her brother left for Vietnam, Winnie became the only child in the house. Then her brother died in the war, and it was just Winnie and her folks. The neighborhood hasn’t been the same without him; everyone feels his absence.

Profession… dedicated junior high student. Winnie succeeds in school, both socially and in the classroom. She has that mixture of book smarts and street smarts that immunizes her to bullies. If anything, she’d be the one to step in and save someone else from being bullied.

Interests… whatever captures her sentiments at the moment. Winnie is equally comfortable with the cool kids and nerds like Paul and Kevin, meaning you’re equally likely to find her at a school dance, a shopping mall, a sentimental childhood hangout, or art class.

Relationship Status… taking it as it comes. Winnie knows Kevin has always had feelings for her, but she’s ambivalent about possibly ruining their friendship. In the meantime, she’s spending her time with jocks like Kirk and even bullies like Eddie. She has a penchant for bad boys. Maybe she just misses her brother.

Challenge… maintaining her good spirit as her family falls apart. Turns out the perfect girl comes from a far-from-perfect home. The loss of her brother completely destroyed her household. Her parents’ marriage has slowly been deteriorating ever since. Everything around her is changing, at the worst possible time.

Personality… wholesome and good-hearted. Winnie is the archetypal schoolboy crush. She’s stronger than a damsel in distress, girly enough to make boys nervous, approachable enough to befriend, unattainable enough to desire, kind enough to give you hope. There is something pure about her spirit that draws everyone to her. In a time when everyone is changing, you can count on Winnie staying Winnie. At least until she’s, say, a junior or senior.