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Ireland’s Peter Brophy ’29 Finds His Fit at Iona University
Peter Brophy '29 has found community, opportunity and connection at Iona.
From Westport, Ireland, to Westchester County, N.Y., Peter Brophy ’29 is making the most of his Iona University experience.
As an inaugural recipient of Iona’s Westport Scholarship, the history and English major has embraced the opportunity to pursue his education in the United States while building community, exploring new interests and taking advantage of all that Iona has to offer.
For Brophy, the decision to attend Iona was based in a desire to step beyond the familiar and experience something new while remaining connected to his Irish roots.
“I would be kicking myself if I did not go and at least see what it was like,” Brophy said. “When I came here, I enjoyed it. Once I got boots on the ground, everyone at Iona — and at home — was really good at keeping in contact with me.”
Offered in partnership with the Westport Estate in County Mayo, Ireland, the Westport Scholarship provides graduates of Rice College and Sacred Heart School in Westport with full tuition and on-campus housing to study at Iona, a Catholic university founded by the Christian Brothers in 1940.
Rooted in the legacy of St. Columba and Blessed Edmund Rice, Iona’s growing global footprint — including its new campus at Westport Estate — is reflected in the scholarship, which creates a living bridge between the West of Ireland and New Rochelle.
That connection was felt almost immediately upon Brophy’s arrival on campus.
“All the staff has been great,” Brophy said. “Being from a different country, I came in the door the first day, and people were lovely, and they are really understanding, and they want to know a lot more about Ireland. I have even met some people who’ve traveled and who have been to Westport as well.”
The support he found at Iona helped ease the transition to college life in a new country and gave him the confidence to settle in, get involved and make the most of his new surroundings. Once on campus, Brophy quickly found that the academic experience matched the draw of the location. Iona’s personalized curriculum has allowed him to shape his studies around both his interests and his goals for the future.
“The wide variety of classes offered allows me to take either broader or more specialized topics throughout history and literature,” Brophy said. “I enjoy being able to choose what parts of both subjects interest me most.”
He has also found that Iona’s smaller class sizes and supportive faculty have made it easy to engage more deeply in his studies.
“I wanted to go out and go to a bigger campus and meet more people,” Brophy said. “I think it is great over here, where the classes are a bit smaller, more like what I am used to, and there is tremendous depth in the content. It is easy to talk to your professors about your studies; they are really helpful, especially with projects and intense assignments.”
That sense of ownership over his education extends well beyond the classroom. Brophy has been intentional about exploring opportunities that align with both his academic interests and his long-term aspirations.
“I have been trying to pull myself into a few different things I hadn’t even thought I would try,” Brophy said. “Since I am studying English and history, I was looking to get into a bit of journalism, so I wrote for the Ionian. It’s a good opportunity and it looks great on the CV.”
He has also taken advantage of Iona’s resources to prepare for life after graduation and to think globally about where his education might lead next.
“I am grateful to have access to the Career Development Center, which has helped me improve my resume and explore internship placements,” Brophy said. “I intend to study in Rome, Italy, next semester thanks to Iona’s study abroad programs.”
Outside of academics, Brophy has found meaningful community through the everyday moments that have helped make Iona feel like home.
“I have been playing a bit of casual football with some lads here,” Brophy said. “They are great. We have a group chat where we shoot each other texts. We usually play on sunny days, it is a good craic.”
Those connections, along with the access to New York City and the opportunities that come with it, have shaped many of his favorite memories so far.
“I remember my first day here, I was obviously nervous coming over to a new country,” Brophy said. “I remember it was like a picture. It was at sunset, we were out to play five-aside (soccer), and it was a great welcome — and will always be a great memory.”
From informal games with friends on campus to trips into Manhattan, Brophy’s first year has been defined by both discovery and belonging.
“Just before Christmas, I got a few of the lads out, and we went to go see the big Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center,” Brophy said. “Took a nice few pictures there.”
Now, as he looks ahead to future semesters, potential internships and study abroad opportunities, Brophy sees Iona as a place that continues to open doors.
“The more involved you get out here, the less you worry about back home,” Brophy said. “Once you realize that you are only 30 minutes from Manhattan, the world’s your oyster.”
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 over 4,000 students and an alumni base of 55,000 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 Nursing & 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 6 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 once again named Iona to its “Best Business Schools for 2025,” recognizing both its on-campus and online MBA programs. 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.