Whether it is from their prestigious law school or expansive undergraduate program, someone special in your life has just passed a huge milestone in life: graduating college from George Mason University! Earning a degree is no small feat — every student must have dedicated a great amount of academic labor and shown enough ability to be awarded with a diploma representing the knowledge, experiences, and relationships that college provides.

There is no better way to celebrate and recognize all of the hours of hard work these graduates have put in than a commemorative gift to set them up for the new chapter in their lives. So if you’re thinking of getting the GMU grad in your life a gift and don’t know where to start, look no further because we’ve compiled the ultimate list of gifts that any Patriot would be ecstatic to receive upon graduation!

Commemorative Gifts to Memorialize a Tremendous College Experience

Offer the recent GMU grad in your life a stylish way to remember all of the long hours of studying and fun times with friends.

Graduation gifts that are almost always well-received and appreciated are those that are commemorative, reminding grads of all of their accomplishments and fond memories from their college days. College is a short and often warmly remembered period of young adults’ lives, so any gift that offers a bit of nostalgia will likely be loved for many years after graduation.

These are the gifts that keep on giving back reminiscences and reminders of studying with friends in the library, eating a favorite meal in the dining hall, or walking through the quad on the first warm day of spring. Commemorative gifts offer a lot more than just their surface use — they provide a lifelong remembrance of good times and recognition of the work students achieved.

George Mason School Color Traditional Diploma Frame

One great commemorative gift idea for a GMU grad is a diploma frame. This traditional diploma frame from OCM provides a straightforward look that puts all of the attention on the diploma itself. With the diploma set against mats in GMU’s signature green and gold, this traditionally styled frame will surely be loved and appreciated by any recent grad, who will likely be eager to display their hard work in their room or office.

Brushed Aluminum Tassel and Photo Frame

Another excellent option — that is also a bit easier on the budget — is a picture frame for recent graduates to fill with a favorite college memory or photo from graduation. This tassel photo frame from OCM showcases a photograph against a tassel, all the making for a great commemorative graduation gift. Feel free to add a favorite photo of you and your grad and leave the tassel part to them or give your giftee the responsibility and privilege of picking a photo to commemorate her college years.

Commemorative gifts are presents whose recipients will likely remember for the rest of their lives. Tassel boxes and diploma frames specifically will find use and be displayed in a variety of ways, whether that be at home or in a future office is up to the giftee to decide, but you can be sure that they will be appreciated and not forgotten. 

Additional Graduation Gifts that Any Recent George Mason Grad Will Be Thrilled to Receive

Commemorative gifts are only one option for graduates. These gifts will provide functions and roles that every recipient will be grateful to accept.

Upon graduating high school, a common gift is money to help fund the many expenses that are associated with college. However, graduating college — while leaving many students in debt — is primarily viewed as a time to step into the workforce and begin providing for oneself. What sort of gift does this necessitate, you may be asking. While money will likely be appreciated, there is something a bit detached and depersonalized about this option.

When thinking of gifts for college graduates, the best thing to remember is what lies ahead in the new chapter of these former students’ lives. This means trying to find gifts that will serve a purpose and function that can help in this transitory period from student life to adulthood. If you’re still stumped, don’t worry because we’ve come up with a few options that will give any recent George Mason graduate something that will serve them well in this transition to adulthood and professional workforce.

Dogeared Pearls of Success Necklace

For anyone looking to show some love and support to a recent grad with a flair for minimalist bling, this Dogeared necklace is the gift for you. Featuring sterling silver and a petit, single pearl, this necklace provides a chic bit of elegance as well as meaning. The jewelry draws on the pearl’s lifespan from a tiny speck to a glimmering pearl to provide wearers with a reminder that something miniscule within them can flourish into a piece of stunning beauty with a little bit of time.

A necklace with this kind of encouragement and elegance will likely go over very well with any grad who is finding the future to be more daunting rather than exciting. By giving any worrisome graduates this necklace, hopefully you can give them a gift that merely reminds them of the value they already have and what lies ahead is bright.

Orchard’s Finest Fruit Basket

While material gifts are great at providing something that can serve a purpose or reminder, a good fruit or food basket — such as this elegant and gourmet Orchard’s Finest Fruit Basket with truffles, pears, and oranges — is unlike any gift. An edible gift can be decadent and offer foods that many wouldn’t often choose for themselves, making for a delicious and palate-opening experience.

Gift Cards

Although not the most personal or glamorous of gifts, the gift card is a familiar offering for birthdays and graduations alike for a reason. Gift cards allow you to give your grad a gift that literally keeps on giving — recipients can use the card to fund anything from a trip back home (like this Amtrak card) to a splurge purchase at a favorite store. There’s something deeply satisfying about having to make a purchase, especially one that is inevitable, and then remembering that you have a gift card to either cover or help cover the cost. It feels like free money!

Graduating college is exciting and deserves to be celebrated. Giving a gift to commemorate the moment and show your pride for a recent grad’s accomplishments is something that should be exciting for both the giver and receiver. And to all the newly found George Mason University alumni: congratulations and good luck on the long and bright journeys that await you!