Brigitte Freeman was born and raised in an average northern California town full of bicycles and surrounded by fields, (not surfboards or the ocean). She attended Sacramento City College then transferred to UC Berkeley, where she received her History B.A. and a reliance on coffee. When asked, she will emphatically state she loves all history, but chose an area of focus in the Ancient Mediterranean world to write her thesis. The Romans still hold a special place in her heart, but she is looking forward to exploring time periods slightly closer to the present through Global History. The unique approach of the program and chance to trace connections across time and space drew her in. Although her research interests are still unclear, she is so excited to be in Berlin, blundering through the German language and meeting new people!