How to find a special gift for a graduation: VMI and W&L examples
There is a cry of pain that can be heard across America sometime around June of each year, and the words are always the same. “What should I give as a graduation gift?” The panic begins when you receive the graduation announcement and the dilemma worsens over time. Even on graduation day, you may still have doubts about the gift you have chosen for this momentous occasion.
The graduation ceremony leaves most people totally blocked. In earlier times, the gift of choice used to be a pen, but now it is surely replaced by a computer or other new communication technology like a Blackberry, iPhone, or Droid. The question is how many droids can a freshly liberated, freshly graduated from school (now considered an adult) carry with him?
Even before your graduation ceremony, memories of the good old school days are already beginning to foster in your future grad’s mind. So the secret to giving a great keepsake gift is simply to identify the characteristics that distinguish your school or graduate community from anywhere else in the United States.
If you can adopt this formula, your graduate will always be saying, “Thanks for the memory.” The formula is as follows: Geographical Features + Area History + School History = Perfect Graduation Gift.
What’s different about your graduate’s city or school?
Most schools have their own spectacular and sometimes peculiar geographical landmarks and historical features. For example, Lexington, Virginia is a small town nestled in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where there are two colleges and a lot of history. Washington and Lee University (W&L) and Virginia Military Institute (VMI) are renowned for their educational opportunities and delightful for their colorful beginnings. With its real-life stories of heroes like George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and George C. Marshall, the city of Lexington, itself, offers a great guide to finding the perfect graduation gift.
A town with a history of heroes
University of Washington and Lee It began as the Augusta Academy in 1749 and later (in 1796) received a scholarship from George Washington himself. In appreciation, the school was named Washington Academy and later changed back to Washington College. After the Civil War, Robert E. Lee became president, and when he died, the institution was renamed Washington and Lee University. The W&L motto is Non incautus futuri, which means “Without forgetting the future”, an adaptation of the Lee family motto. Washington and Lee University has its own bookstore and gift center, but there are Lexington gift shops and online resources where you can find great ideas for W&L-related gifts.
Founded in 1839, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) It remains the oldest state-supported military university offering its cadets a military and disciplinary lifestyle. Before the American Civil War, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was a professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy there. On 14 different occasions in the midst of the Civil War, VMI cadets were called up to active duty, including service in the Battle of New Market in 1864. As a result of even later World War II, General George C. Marshall, a VMI Graduate, was the only career military officer to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Think about the unusual gifts you can find based on the history of these two institutions and their prestigious alumni.
Features Formula Returns Gift Ideas
Based on the geographic location and history of Lexington, Virginia and its educational institutions, here is a list of actual available graduation gifts – “cool” gifts to save for memories:
- Engraved Virginia Pewter Goblets
- W&L Bistro Etched Wine Glasses
- VMI Bistro Engraved Wine Glasses
- Robert E. Lee Bust for Desk or Library
- W&L brass trivet
- George Washington’s Rules of Courtesy and Decent Behavior
- George Washington bust for desk or library
- Pewter bracelet engraved with the Virginia state flower (the dogwood), handcrafted by skilled artisans in Williamsburg, Virginia.
- VMI overview
- Stonewall Jackson Bust for Desk or Library
- Nutcracker VMI Cadet handmade
- Nutcracker George Washington Handmade
- Nutcracker Robert E. Lee Handmade
– Personalized and engraved gifts are often the most welcome because they commemorate the special occasion with relevant details. A Virginia pewter mug not only celebrates graduation, but recalls the mug’s historical origins and, of course, the state where the graduate was a student.
– a book written by our first president at the age of 14. “Work to keep alive in your chest that little heavenly fire called consciousness,” said Washington, one of his 110 fascinating rules for living.
– a sepia-toned 360 degree framed panoramic photograph showing the drill field in the heart of the VMI campus. Matte and framed in brushed bronze, signed and numbered by the artist
This is only a partial list of special gifts that you can find after some pretty quick research. Look for the unique characteristics of the city or town where your graduate attends school, the history of the school itself, and the things that make the location different. Local gift shops, museums, and school stores become the best resources for your search, and as they say, “the rest is easy!”
As with all budding adults, today’s high school, college and university graduates are just taking their first steps in a world full of harsh realities and challenges. The potholes of life are the problems and pitfalls you face when ascending from the safe zone of a protected school environment. Ahead is a more intoxicating atmosphere of unknown joys and sorrows, and it is more important than any of us can imagine to hold onto the reminders of the happy days of youth.