Steve Jobs inspirational quote from graduation speech written in calligraphy with red apple standing out from the rest
Personalized Graduation congratulations letter from dad to daughter

Inspirational Quotes for a Great Graduation Gift ~

Do you have a student in your life who is about to graduate. I'm sure they've worked hard to finish school. and they're at the beginning of their professional lives. You want to get them something that will have a lot of meaning to them. If you can't think of a good graduation gift I hope you will consider getting that new graduate a meaningful inspirational quote?!  You could make your congratulations even more special by telling your son or daughter how proud you are of their hard work and achievement. 

A Graduation Picture with Your Inspirational Words

As your graduate gets older they will really appreciate being able to look back at themselves at the time of their graduation. I can also make a composite with Photoshop that shows their school, their graduation ceremony, and any awards they've received. Sometimes your graduate would like their photo to include their best friends from school.

metal print with built in stand

Your gift doesn't have to be a huge piece of calligraphy to have a big impact. It can be printed on a surface that can be placed on a desk, shelf or other flat surface with the option of hanging it on the wall as well as in a thin metal print with a built in easel. It's a great contemporary look, and will save you the time and expense of getting the piece framed. Also, they will probably be moving soon and you don't want to give them a framed piece with glass that can break during a move.

Memorable Keepsake for a Graduate

This gift idea for a high school drama student took a wonderful photo of her on stage and combined it with a wonderful inspiring quote about success. We printed it on metal with an easel stand so the young woman graduate would always have a place to put it on a shelf or desk to remind her of her glory days! (and hopefully, she'll have many more!)

Personalized graduation gift for high school student actor with Emerson quote about success written in calligraphy

We all have quotes that help us get through the day and give us focus and motivation when we're feeling down. There are so many wonderful motivational and inspirational quotes for the new graduate starting off their lives.

How To Find the Perfect Quote for a Graduation Gift

Of course your inspirational words can mean the most to a graduation letting them know how proud your are of their achievement. But if you're not a great writer here are some ideas.

Who inspired the graduate? Find a quote from a famous person who worked in the area of their college major. You can do a search online for quotes for lawyers, doctors, architects, computer sciences, business. I just loved this quote you can see above from Steve Jobs and I wrote it in calligraphy and personalized it. Then it was printed and "framed" on metal.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

I wrote this Steve Jobs quote in calligraphy for my nephew. The photo of the apples, with one sticking out from the crowd seemed so appropriate- don't you think so? Let your graduate know you think they stand out from the crow

Medical School Graduation Gift

medical school fun graduation gift

This professor wanted to get a memorable gift for a young man graduating from medical school. I had to do the work to find an image of the medical school building and the school logo. The photo also was less than a great picture, but I did my best, and the graduate was delighted with his quote that was printed on metal with a built in stand so he could put it on a shelf.

Please keep your phone handy to take some GOOD pictures of the subject with plenty of light! It makes my job so much more effective when I have a good image to work with (and costs less because I don't have to spend time working with Photoshop to fix your pictures). Here are great, easy tips how to take a good picture. 

This famous quote by Teddy Roosevelt is perfect for the business major or business school graduate.

Inspirational and motivational quote from Teddy Roosevelt . "It is not the critic who counts" written in calligraphy

Be Your Best Self - Desiderata

Desiderata is a famous poem because it gives you a direction for thoughts and behaviors to live by that will bring you happiness and success. When you personalize it by combining it with a background that makes sense to your new graduate it can be a lifelong keepsake!

Famous poem Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann written in calligraphy with a personalized, custom background of a light up NYCity and the Brooklyn bridge
First Anniversary gift, personalized version of Desiderata written in calligraphy & computer font superimposed on wedding photo
Desiderata, the famous poem of Max Ehrmann written in calligraphy on parchment background with calligraphic flourishes as decoration


If you have a quote you love, write to me for calligraphy services- and we'll come up with the perfect gift for your graduate!