By Zoe Lenz 

   There is a new teacher around the school. You may have seen her walking around campus in the morning or during lunch. Or if you are in 11th grade, you might see her every day in your Humane Letters class. 

   Ms. Merkel earned her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. She started teaching English at Essex County College and after she moved to Phoenix, she began teaching high-school history.

   Ms. Merkel, when asked about what drew her to Tempe Prep, said, “As a student, I always loved taking small, seminar-style classes in writing and history. TPA offered me the opportunity to teach classes just like that!”

   In her free time, she enjoys whitewater kayaking and her favorite book is Kafka On The Shore by Haruki Marukami. She became a teacher because of her “desire to talk endlessly about her favorite books,” and the most important lesson she wants to teach her students is pattern recognition.

   Ms Merkel is “ impressed by how many students seem to genuinely love learning,” and is looking forward to teaching her students about the Spanish- American War in spring semester.