Before Zohran Mamdani became a leading contender for New York City mayor, he was a wiry, baby-faced teenager navigating the hallways of the Bronx High School of Science—juggling soccer dreams, student government flops, and a grassroots campaign to bring cricket to New York City public schools.
Now, as the 34-year-old state assemblyman surges in the polls, his formative years at one of the nation’s most elite public high schools are getting renewed attention. From organizing an unofficial cricket team to commuting over an hour each way from Manhattan, Mamdani’s Bronx Science experience didn’t just shape his worldview—it laid the blueprint for his political identity.
Bronx Science: More Than Just a School
Founded in 1938, Bronx High School of Science has produced Nobel laureates, Pulitzer winners, and tech pioneers. But for Mamdani—who graduated in 2010—it was a crucible of identity, activism, and coalition-building.
“It was where I discovered who I wanted to be,” Mamdani said in a recent interview, echoing a sentiment shared by generations of alumni. But his journey was uniquely his own: the son of Ugandan-Indian intellectuals, raised on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, suddenly immersed in a student body where 60% were immigrants or children of immigrants.
Cricket as a Catalyst
One of Mamdani’s defining high school achievements wasn’t academic—it was athletic, though not in the traditional sense. At a time when cricket wasn’t recognized by the NYC public school system, Mamdani and a friend launched their own team from scratch.
They scrounged bats and pads, recruited players with Facebook posts (“brown ain’t no requirement to play this game”), and lobbied school administrators for legitimacy. By his junior year, their persistence paid off: cricket became an official city sport.
“It was one of the moments that taught me the power of organizing,” Mamdani recalled, “and how to change your reality.”
The Making of a Grassroots Politician
Mamdani’s campaign tactics today—door-knocking, coalition-building across boroughs, centering immigrant voices—mirror the playbook he developed as a teen. His failed bid for student vice president (famously promising “fresh juice for all”) may have flopped, but it revealed his flair for bold messaging and grassroots energy.
Classmates remember him as charismatic, disruptive, and endlessly curious—equally likely to rap over “Still D.R.E.” for a lit assignment as he was to organize post-game kebab runs with cricket teammates from Queens and the Bronx.
A Complicated Legacy
Bronx Science is also a symbol of systemic inequity. Admission is based solely on a standardized test—the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT)—which has drawn criticism for producing racially unrepresentative student bodies.
Mamdani once called for abolishing the test, citing firsthand experience with segregation. But as his mayoral campaign gained traction, he softened his stance, calling the issue a “struggle” and emphasizing broader systemic reform instead.
Bronx Science Alumni in Power
| Alumnus | Graduation Year | Notable Role |
|---|---|---|
| Zohran Mamdani | 2010 | New York State Assemblyman, mayoral candidate |
| John C. Liu | 1984 | New York State Senator |
| Neil deGrasse Tyson | 1976 | Astrophysicist, science communicator |
| Ronald Lauder | 1961 | Cosmetics heir, philanthropist |
From “Ugindia’s Finest” to City Hall?
Mamdani’s high school nickname—“Ugindia’s Finest”—captured his complex heritage and self-aware humor. Today, that same duality informs his political brand: progressive yet pragmatic, rooted in immigrant communities yet fluent in citywide policy.
His former history teacher, Marc Kagan, recalls telling Mamdani’s father not to worry about his B+ grades: “The wheels are spinning in your son’s head.”
Now, those wheels may be turning toward Gracie Mansion.
