09-07-2025
Graduate Opens Gift—Tears at What Has Been Preserved From 10 Years Ago
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A man from Washington, D.C. has left internet users in tears after sharing what his girlfriend bought him as a graduation gift.
Joshua "J.B." Branch, who goes by u/A_Rogue_One, posted on the r/MadeMeSmile subreddit with an image of a handmade wall piece that reads: "Nothing is more satisfying than watching your educational talents grow. With love, Dad."
Branch, a recent graduate of Harvard Kennedy School, told Newsweek that the handwriting was taken from a Christmas card his father, Joseph, gave him over a decade ago during his first year of law school.
Split view of Joshua "J.B." Branch with his father, Joseph (left) and J.B. with his girlfriend, Taylor Burnett (right) at graduation.
Split view of Joshua "J.B." Branch with his father, Joseph (left) and J.B. with his girlfriend, Taylor Burnett (right) at graduation.
Joshua "J.B." Branch
"I literally said, 'Oh my god, that's my dad's handwriting,' and I ran my hand over [it]," Branch said. "I started to tear up because I realized with that gift, I'll always have something tangible connecting me to him."
The 34-year-old explained that his father has dementia, and his condition has worsened over the last five years. At first, he struggled to see how it was changing his father.
"I went through the stages of grief," he told Newsweek. "I was often angry because you want the version of your dad that you remember. I've struggled with substance abuse when I wasn't handling my emotions well. Through a lot of therapy, I've gotten to a point where I accept this disease and the role it plays in my dad's life."
The framed note was a surprise from Branch's girlfriend, Taylor Burnett, who had been in a long-distance relationship with him while he completed his master's degree in AI Governance and Tech Policy.
"During one of my visits, I noticed a Christmas card that he had displayed on his desk," Burnett told Newsweek. "The card read, 'Nothing is more satisfying than watching your educational talents grow. With Love Dad.' With Josh's graduation coming up, I knew I needed to do something with Joseph's beautiful words to honor the moment."
Using Etsy vendor Kristi Rudek, Burnett transformed Joseph's handwritten message into a wall hanging. "Now Josh can see his father's words every day in our home," she said.
At the time of writing, Branch's post has received 22,000 upvotes and dozens of comments, many of whom were moved by the sentimental gift.
"Your girlfriend is a darling. And what a good man your dad is. Gosh, I have tears in my eyes," one user wrote.
"As someone with a disabled parent, this is such a treasure. I have a few letters from my mom before she was unable to write anymore. I treasure them deeply," another added.
Handmade wall piece that reads: "Nothing is more satisfying than watching your educational talents grow. With love, Dad."
Handmade wall piece that reads: "Nothing is more satisfying than watching your educational talents grow. With love, Dad."
Joshua "J.B." Branch
For Branch, it was important for his dad to attend graduation. He told Newsweek that his father grew up as a sharecropper, picking cotton and harvesting tobacco in North Carolina.
Joseph also joined the navy in ninth grade for "a better life" and immediately went to the Korean War.
"I'm living a life he didn't get to live because of his sacrifices," Branch told Newsweek. "When I achieve something, I feel it's shared success, both mine and my family's. At graduation my dad was excited and smiling, every time he saw me in my graduation gown he had a smile from ear to ear."
Now working as the Big Tech Accountability Advocate at Public Citizen, Branch said his work is about ensuring AI benefits everyone.
"A big reason I went back to school was that my parents instilled in me that you need to be happy doing your job and I wasn't any longer," he said. "With my dad's condition, I've had a shift in thinking where it's become less about accolades and headlines. It's more about just being happy with what I'm doing."
