oh man that sounds super cute! I saw one time that if you drill holes in the bottom of a teapot, water wouldn't stagnate and it could be a planter pot?
or! if it's a regular pot, does your uni have a mascot you could paint on the side maybe? my history of school mascots has included a tree and a bug, so those were less cool lol
this sounds like a great idea tho, I'm sure she's going to love it :D