Bernstein talks to Suffolk

Commencement speaker urges grads to have confidence in dreams

BOSTON. The keynote speaker for Suffolk University’s 2008 commencement ceremony, a reporter renown-ed for exposing former President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, was also a college dropout.

Carl Bernstein, former Washington Post reporter and author of "A Women in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton," addressed Suffolk’s 1,300-plus graduates on Sunday at the Bank of America Pavilion.

Bernstein, who dropped out of the University of Maryland College Park after three semesters, focused on being observant. 

“I’ve never done a story where my preconceived notion has turned out to be what the real story was. The main thing is respecting the person you’re talking to, be a good listener. I think that’s the most basic advice,” said Bernstein.

He urged students to  learn from their errors, “today we live in a culture in which mistakes or failure is unforgiving,” he said. “[However,] failure is often the way we learn best.”

Bernstein stressed self-confidence, “Trust your instincts and use them. You’ve got to find what you love and dare to do it your way.”