At Iona, Service and Innovation Inspire Occupational Therapy Student to Turn Business Idea into Winning Concept
MaryBrigid McManus ’27MS and her team win the Iona Innovation Challenge with their SipSation concept, a reusable water bottle inspired by their OT training
Bronxville, N.Y. – For MaryBrigid McManus ’27MS, choosing a graduate program in occupational therapy was about more than academics; it was about finding a place that felt like home.
“I’ve always attended small schools, so I knew I wanted to continue that path, I didn’t want to just be another face in the crowd,” said McManus, a native of Rockaway Beach, N.Y.
“My cohort has 17 students, and we all know and support one another. It often feels like a little family, and I love that.”
Drawn to Iona University for its tight-knit learning environment and focus on service, McManus has immersed herself in both her coursework and campus life.
She serves as vice president of Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) and is set to take on the role of president next semester. She’s also an active member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) and participates in service-learning projects each semester.
“It’s not just about learning the material,” she said. “It’s about being able to apply that knowledge and see it firsthand, which is exactly what service learning allows.”
This year, McManus took her experience a step further by participating in the 2025 Iona Innovation Challenge, hosted by Iona’s Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Her team’s concept, SipSation, a 32-ounce reusable water bottle with built-in sensory panels and a specialized straw, earned them first place.
“SipSation is designed to provide sensory support and stress relief,” she explained. “Our product is very OT-based, and we actually want to look into going further with our project to make it a reality.”
The process, she says, was like a “mini crash-course MBA.”
“We learned about market projections and analysis, breaking into the market and finding our market space,” McManus said. “It was a great experience where I learned a lot, and a key takeaway was how much work actually goes into taking an idea to the market. It’s not just about having a good idea; you have to put in the work and really find your space.”
Support from Iona faculty and mentors played a key role in their success.
“Our mentors were incredible, especially our in-house mentor Zhane Ligon. She took the time to meet with us, provide resources, talk things out with us and help us better understand market analysis and projections. This was invaluable in helping us really perfect our winning pitch.”
Now in her final stretch of the OT program, McManus is exploring different specialties through her fieldwork placements and keeping an open mind about where she’ll land.
“My plans for the future are to become an occupational therapist,” she said. “I’m interested in several fields of practice, and I don’t want to limit myself yet. Iona does a great job through service learning and fieldwork of allowing us to explore a variety of specialties and settings.”
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona also continues to be recognized in prestigious national rankings. Most recently for 2025, Iona has been named one of the nation’s best colleges by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and others. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report recognized Iona as one of top for social mobility in the country, while Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) ranked an Iona degree in the top 5 percent nationally for long-term return on investment. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business, meanwhile, is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just 6 percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2024.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with one of the nation’s top hospitals. Connecting to its Irish heritage, Iona also opened a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland, located on the historic 400-acre Westport House Estate. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.