The Graduation ceremony symbolizes endings and also new beginnings. This ceremony calls for some change in an individual’s life. It is the time to reflect upon the past and embrace the future with a heart-touching Graduation quotes that will inspire everyone, even the ones who have not received the degree.
A graduate is at the point of starting a new phase of life. So, they need everyone’s best wishes, good advice, and encouragement. The event of Graduation is the time to celebrate yourself and your achievement.
Graduation Day is a day of celebration because, after that, you have to prepare yourself to face the harsh realities of life. The primary milestone of an individual’s life is to graduate after several years of hard work.
Hence, Graduation memories always have some mixed emotions. On this day, every graduate feels excited about their next chapter but also feels sad to say goodbye to their college days. So, make this ceremony more special with these motivational Graduation quotes.
Memorable Graduation Quotes For High School
1. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
2. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” – Anatole France
5. “Life is my college. May I graduate well, and earn some honors!” – Louisa May Alcott
6. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
7. “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
8. “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” – Nora Ephron
9. “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss
10. “The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.” – Maya Angelou
11. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau
12. “Take pride in how far you’ve come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don’t forget to enjoy the journey.” – Michael Josephson
13. “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.”
14. “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table.” – Barack Obama
15. “Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.” – Senator Orrin Hatch
16. “The future is as bright as your faith.” – Thomas S. Monson
17. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
18. “The only time to be positive you’ve got a clear path is when you’re on the edge of a cliff.”
19. “Now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.” – Neil Gaiman
20. “The tassel’s worth the hassle!”
Inspirational Graduation Quotes To Celebrate Achievments
21. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost
22. “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.” — J.K. Rowling (from her Harvard Commencement Address)
23. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” — Steve Jobs
24. “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” — Oprah Winfrey
25. “What is success? To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children… to leave the world a better place… to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived; this is to have succeeded.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
26. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — Mark Twain
27. “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” — William Ernest Henley (from his poem “Invictus”)
28. “Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think, and loved more than you know.” — A.A. Milne
29. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” — Nelson Mandela
30. “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” — Marie Curie
College Graduation Quotes For Completing Milestone
31. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
32. “You don’t go to university so you can punch a clock. You go to university so you can be in a position to make a difference.” — Janet Napolitano
33. “The world rewards those who take responsibility for their own success.” — Curt Gerrish
34. “Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.” — Kerry Washington
35. “The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective.” — Jon Stewart
36. “Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.” — Louis Hector Berlioz
37. “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.” — Steve Jobs
38. “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin
39. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas A. Edison
40. “Just remember, you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pockets.” — Arnold Schwarzenegger
Motivational Quotes For New Graduates
41. “It is not our abilities that show what we truly are… it is our choices. In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count; it’s the life in your years. So, when your journey seems long, when it seems tough, when the dream feels distant, remember you are already equipped with every resource you need to step into the destiny that awaits.” — Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling), with an addition
42. “There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you until the day when there is, and we wait for that day. So, go to the world and bring your color, your whip, your bravery. It matters not just for you but for every child who follows your path.” — Jacqueline Woodson
43. “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt
44. “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. The future depends upon what you do today. So do not wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.” — Buddha, with a blend from Mahatma Gandhi and an addition
45. “Life is an improvisation. You have no idea what’s going to happen next, and you are mostly just making things up as you go along. And like improv, you cannot win your life, even when it might look as if you’re losing. Embrace uncertainty, and be ready to adapt. Every misstep is a chance to learn, and every challenge an opportunity to grow.” — Stephen Colbert, with additions
46. “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something. So that’s my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make new mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody’s ever made before.” — Neil Gaiman
47. “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” — Randy Pausch
48. “You may not always have a comfortable life, and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once, but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have. Because history has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.” — Michelle Obama
49. “This is your time, and it feels normal to you, but really, there is no normal. There’s only change, and resistance to it, and then more change. Recognize the opportunities embedded within the challenges, and rise to them.” — Meryl Streep
50. “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good. Real courage is holding on to a still voice in your head that says, ‘I must keep going.’ It’s that voice that says nothing is a failure if it is not final. That voice that says to you, ‘Get out of bed. Keep going. I will not quit.'” — Minor Myers Jr., combined with Cory Booker
Graduation Quotes For Friends
51. “Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there. As we go on, we remember all the times we had together, and as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.”
52. “Together, we have shared our successes and our failures. We’ve shared our dreams and worked towards our goals. We are a testament to the idea that the best is yet to come.”
53. “What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen. Here’s to a future filled with miracles, my friends.”
54. “Friendship is the golden thread that ties all hearts together. As we stand on the threshold of a new beginning, let us remember that we never truly part; we simply move in different directions towards our destinies.”
55. “We started as strangers, became friends, then family. And even if we might be miles apart, we are forever connected in the heart. Here’s to the adventures to come!”
56. “We laughed until we had to cry, we loved right down to our last goodbye, but over the years we’ll smile and recall, for just one moment, we had it all.”
57. “We came to this place as many, but we leave as one. Our paths may diverge, but the memories will be our common ground. Here’s to the paths not yet explored and the reunions awaiting in the future.”
58. “A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails. Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning. Our friendship is a melody that will linger on.”
59. “As we stand on this threshold, looking towards the horizon filled with dreams and possibilities, remember this: we have each other to lean on, laugh with, and love unconditionally. Here’s to our journey ahead!”
60. “The future is an unwritten symphony, and we, with our dreams and hopes, are the composers. With trust, respect, and an enduring friendship, we will create the music of our lives. Here’s to us!”
Proud Graduation Quotes From Parents
61. “From the time you took your first baby steps to now, as you stride confidently on your graduation day, our hearts have swelled with pride. Just remember: the sky? It’s only your starting line.”
62. “It feels like just yesterday when you were learning the basics, and now look at you – graduating and glowing with potential. We’re so proud, seeing our dreams and hopes reflected in your achievements. Go shape your world – we believe in all that you are and all that you’re yet to be.”
63. “From doodling with crayons to holding that diploma, what a journey it has been! Our hearts are practically singing with pride. And always remember: wherever life takes you, we’re cheering you on.”
64. “Looking at you now, it’s hard not to get teary. Our little one is all set to soar high. This graduation isn’t just about a degree; it’s a testament to your grit. Here’s to all the amazing things you’ll do and the incredible person you’ve become.”
65. “Every ending is a brand-new beginning. Today’s not just a graduation; it’s the first page of your next big adventure. And our hearts? They’re dancing with joy and pride. Reach for the stars; this journey is just getting started.”
Famous Graduation Quotes For Ideal Speeches
66. Steve Jobs in his Stanford Commencement Address:
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
67. Theodore Roosevelt from his speech “Citizenship In A Republic”:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
68. Nelson Mandela from his Inaugural Address:
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
69. J.K. Rowling in her Harvard Commencement Address:
“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better. It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
70. Robert F. Kennedy from his Day of Affirmation Address:
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
71. “Cap off, dreams on. 🎓”
72. “Started from the bottom, now we’re here.”
73. “Diploma in hand, adventure in heart.”
74. “Peace out, school. Hello, real world!”
75. “Next stop: conquering the world.”
76. “Mischief managed. ✨”
77. “This tassel was worth the hassle!”
78. “Educated and unstoppable.”
79. “Just the beginning. 🔥”
80. “Grads like us, baby we were born to shine!”
81. “Now hotter by one degree! 🌡️”
82. “Class dismissed!”
83. “Degree-licious! 🎉”
84. “Con-GRAD-ulations to me!”
85. “Catch me if you can, world.”