Graduation: Inspiring & Funny Quotes for Speeches and Toasts

By Yelena Jenkins
Time to CelebrateTime to Celebrate

After years of hard work, studying and sacrifice, you've finally made it to graduation day. But before you can toss your cap; you've been asked to make a speech to inspire your classmates.

Whether you're aiming to be funny, charming or inspirational, we've hand-picked some great launching points for a winning speech.

Not giving a speech at the ceremony? Impress your family and friends by incorporating these quotes in an eloquent toast at your graduation party.

Inspirational Graduation Quotes:

* "Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tips on Speaking Like a Pro:

1. Write it Out: The best speakers may seem spontaneously eloquent, but their speeches are meticulously planned. Put it on paper so you can edit, revise, and memorize.

2. Edit it Down: Reduce the word-for-word text of your speech to thematic bullet points. Put these on 3x5 note cards and use them to practice.

3. Practice Out Loud: Use a large room to mimic an auditorium and record yourself to practice the perfect tone, volume and pace. Also practice expression and hand gestures.

4. Relax and Smile: It's almost physically impossible to be nervous when you smile. So when you get up there in front of a crowd, take a minute to breathe and smile before you begin. It will make a world of difference!

* "I hope your dreams take you... to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known." - Unknown

* "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

* "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

* "All of our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them" - Walt Disney

* "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

* "If I made you laugh, you're welcome. If I made you cry, I'm sorry. If I changed your life, chances are you've done the same." - Anonymous

* "You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go." - Dr. Seuss

* "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

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* "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Attributed to Mark Twain

* "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?" - Marianne Williamson

Good Gifting

Get your Graduate a Present they'll love with a little help from our Graduation Gift Guides:

Funny Graduation Quotes:
Good public speaking skills all stem from practiceGood public speaking skills all stem from practice

* "A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that 'individuality' is the key to success." - Robert Purvis

* "Graduation day is tough for adults. They go to the ceremony as parents. They come home as contemporaries. After twenty-two years of child-raising, they are unemployed." - Erma Bombeck

* "Your families are extremely proud of you. You can't imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money." - Gary Bolding

* "Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated." - Garry Trudeau

* "Life is my college. May I graduate well, and earn some honors!" - Louisa May Alcott

* "It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days." - Isabel Waxman

A Few Things To Keep In Mind

Remember, while quotes are great for adding flair, don't overuse them - stick with a choice few to pepper your speech. Or, if you'd like to recite something longer, try a Poem like the one below. Fill the rest with heartfelt memories, personal anecdotes and meaningful advice and you'll receive a standing ovation.

After the commencement ceremony, relax and celebrate! Check out our graduation section for insider tips on throwing a grad party to remember.

The Things That Haven't Been Done Before

The things that haven't been done before,

Those are the things to try;

Columbus dreamed of an unknown shore

At the rim of the far-flung sky,

And his heart was bold and his faith was strong

As he ventured in dangers new,

And he paid no heed to the jeering throng

Or the fears of the doubting crew.

 

The many will follow the beaten track

With guideposts on the way,

They live and have lived for ages back

With a chart for every day.

 

Someone has told them it's safe to go

On the road he has traveled o'er,

And all that they ever strive to know

Are the things that were known before.

 

A few strike out, without map or chart,

Where never a man has been,

From the beaten paths they draw apart

To see what no man has seen.

 

There are deeds they hunger alone to do;

Though battered and bruised and sore,

They blaze the path for the many, who

Do nothing not done before.

 

The things that haven't been done before

Are the tasks worth while today;

Are you one of the flock that follows, or

Are you one that shall lead the way?

 

Are you one of the timid souls that quail

At the jeers of a doubting crew,

Or dare you, whether you win or fail,

Strike out for a goal that's new?

- Edgar A. Guest

Winning Graduation Gift Ideas

Get your graduate a present they'll love with a little help from our Graduation Gift Guides:

Personalized Graduation Gifts for the High School Grad
Ultimate Graduation Gift Guide: Part 1
Ultimate Graduation Gift Guide: Part 2
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