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Graduation Quotes

Two of the most popular graduation lines are flagged. “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself” is a paraphrase of John Dewey, not a quotation. The one about education being what remains after you have forgotten what you learned in school is credited to Einstein and flagged as misattributed.

The page is assembled from the pages on education, success, the future, dreams and learning. It has no graduation speeches in it, but it does have a lot of quotes that get used in them. If you are writing a speech, use the sourced entries; the label will tell you which is which.

Random quote on Graduation

Most quoted on graduation:

Dreams are evidence that we are creatures who produce more meaning than we can ourselves understand.

Mark Kingwell The World We Want (2000)

We should train our desires to show the way to our dreams.

Henry S. Haskins Meditations in Wall Street (1940)

To a very high degree the measure of success in battle leadership is the ability to profit by the lessons of battle experience.

Lucian Truscott

The preference of Jesus for Conversation, as the fittest organ of utterance, is a striking proof of his comprehensive Idea of Education.

Amos Bronson Alcott The Doctrine and Discipline of Human Culture (1836)

It takes twenty years to make an overnight success.

Eddie Cantor

I have learned that success in business, and perhaps in most aspects of life, requires both self-discipline and objectively imposed discipline from outside.’

Edgar Bronfman Sr.

Look for every seed of enthusiasm, and try to build pockets of success.

Gareth Morgan Imaginization (1993)

"Success doesn't mean you're allowed to work less and treat people like shit."

Jennifer Lawrence

I am struck by how sharing our weakness and difficulties is more nourishing to others than sharing our qualities and successes.

Jean Vanier

The success of a ministry depends more upon one's capacity to relate and to care, than [on] one's theological background.

Morton Kelsey

I say if your fear of criticism is stronger than your desire for success, you've failed in thought, long before action.

Cha Cha

I would like to thank Jeff Wald because he makes my success possible, and I would like to thank God because She makes everything possible.

Helen Reddy

Small towns were terrible places to grow up with world-sized dreams—especially when those dreams were the only things you had left to hold onto.

Robert Asprin Time Scout (1995)

Every parent wants to know their child is getting a great education and I will leave no stone unturned in my drive to deliver that.

Gavin Williamson

I’m surprised by the success of anything I do, but it’s gratifying when the public approves.

Toni Basil

It's only education that turns a man away from his tribe.

Bessie Head When Rain Clouds Gather (1968)

Success or leadership is not limited to a particular gender.

Olufunke Baruwa

As head of a major student union, he shook Chile’s establishment by leading rallies that brought reforms to Chile’s privatized education system.

Gabriel Boric

"We are going to work together for the success of women."

Salima Mukansanga

I have learned that if we focus on women’s education, we improve their life positively as well as the well-being of their community.

Agnes Binagwaho

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