Obaid BarakzaiHire me

Chapter six

Hire me

Help with school, work, and your next step, offered the way I would offer you tea

I arrived in the United States with $2.67 in my pocket and no English. Many people helped me along the way, and this is how I give back. For newcomers, almost everything here is free.

The things I charge for are speaking and building websites. I am also a student, so that work helps me keep going. If you are a newcomer who needs a website, you get a special discount.

The menu

Free for newcomers, when you join the sessions list

  • College essaysfree
  • SAT and ACT prepfree
  • College and graduate school applicationsfree
  • Learning a new language, including Englishfree
  • Résumés and job interviewsfree
  • Civic education and taking part in democracyfree
  • A meet and greet, to hear my thoughts on somethingfree
Who the free sessions are for. Free sessions are for newcomers to the United States: immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and anyone who has recently arrived, regardless of immigration status. I will never ask about your status. Everyone else is warmly welcome to reach out for support and rates. As my capacity grows, I hope to make sessions free for everyone, because it should not cost anything to build a life in a new country, no matter where you come from or what language you speak.

Made to order

  • Speaking at your eventask for rates
  • Websites and branding, built from scratchask for rates
  • Flyers and designask for rates
  • Faster, one-on-one help with anything abovea fair price, together

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Obaid BarakzaiHire me

Invite me to speak

I have spoken at the United Nations, Harvard, the Harvard Club of New York City, the One Young World Summit, the Utah Global Symposium, and the Voters of Tomorrow conference. I also moderated the debate for Utah's 1st Congressional District. I speak to schools, universities, conferences, companies, and community groups about:

  • The stories of immigrants and refugees, including my own
  • Policies that help newcomer communities thrive
  • Voting, civic engagement, and community organizing
  • Leadership, diplomacy, and citizenship
  • Building a life from nothing
Receiving the Alumni Impact Award and speaking at the Harvard Club of New York City, October 10, 2026.
Plate 1. Receiving the Alumni Impact Award and speaking at the Harvard Club of New York City, October 10, 2026.
Speaking at the United Nations, 2018.
Plate 2. Speaking at the United Nations, 2018.
Moderating the Utah 1st Congressional District debate at Voices of the Next Majority, a Gen Z event, March 21, 2026.
Plate 3. Moderating the Utah 1st Congressional District debate at Voices of the Next Majority, a Gen Z event, March 21, 2026.
Speaking at the Voters of Tomorrow conference, August 14, 2026.
Plate 4. Speaking at the Voters of Tomorrow conference, August 14, 2026.
At the Utah Global Symposium, on diplomacy, community organizing, citizenship, and the role of immigrants in all of it.
Plate 5. At the Utah Global Symposium, on diplomacy, community organizing, citizenship, and the role of immigrants in all of it.
Speaking at Harvard.
Plate 6. Speaking at Harvard.
Addressing the Westminster student body as Student Body President, August 17, 2020.
Plate 7. Addressing the Westminster student body as Student Body President, August 17, 2020.
Leading a global life: speaking to newcomers in high school, 2017.
Plate 8. Leading a global life: speaking to newcomers in high school, 2017.
Invite me to speak

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Obaid BarakzaiHire me

Ways to start

Join the free sessions list

New to the U.S.? Add your name, and I will let you know when the next sessions on essays, test prep, applications, languages, careers, and civics begin.

Join the list

Need help sooner?

Not a newcomer, or need help sooner? Free sessions follow a shared schedule. If you need one-on-one help faster, tell me what you need, and we will find a price that feels fair and kind to you.

Tell me what you need

Websites and branding

I design websites as a freelancer, to help pay for school and to give back. I build professional websites and brands from scratch. I build with HTML, CSS, Java, Python, and R (RStudio), and I design flyers in Adobe Illustrator and Canva. Newcomers starting their first website get a special discount.

Ask about rates

Meet and greet

Want my thoughts on a plan, a school, a job, or an idea? Pick a time, and we will talk. Tea is on me.

Book a meet and greet

Join the free sessions list

Choose the areas you want help with in the form just below, and I will let you know when the next free sessions begin.

Free sessions are for newcomers to the United States: immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and anyone who has recently arrived, regardless of immigration status. I will never ask about your status. Everyone else is warmly welcome to reach out for support and rates. As my capacity grows, I hope to make sessions free for everyone, because it should not cost anything to build a life in a new country, no matter where you come from or what language you speak.

Sign up just below