Merle Bjorge, a foreign exchange student from Tettnang, Germany, is now a student at Fatima High School. She is here from Germany to visit family members in central Missouri. Merle lives in Tettnang, which is located in the southern part of Germany. In Germany, she rides her bike to school everyday. She wakes up at 6:00 every morning and school started at 7:30. Merle said that although her school in Germany was bigger, it was stricter. She says it is more fun here at Fatima. This isn’t the first time Merle has been to the States either. She just decided to come to our school because she wanted to try something new and her relatives didn’t live far away. She is staying with Julie Price, who lives on Main Street in Westphalia. Merle is only staying for five weeks. She also has many hobbies. She loves horseback riding, playing the violin and piano, and drawing. She also plays sports. In Germany, sports do not take place in school and do not have any affiliation with school. Merle competes in track and field. Merle is also gifted with language. She can speak German, English, and Latin. She is also learning to speak Spanish and Italian.