For many students, becoming homecoming king or queen is at the top of their high school bucket list. However, this was not the case for this year’s homecoming winners, senior Mansoor Esfandieyar and senior Zoya Wazir. Two weeks after the homecoming hubbub has died down, they revisit one of the most exciting nights of their lives and share their favorite memories.

Wazir said, “Students just nominate you so I was definitely surprised when they announced I was on homecoming court because I did not expect it at all.”

The process for selecting homecoming court winners is simple. First, seniors vote for three girls and three boys in the senior class to be nominated for homecoming court. The top 11 of each category are the ones selected to be on the homecoming court. After the votes are counted, seniors vote again. This time, they choose only one boy and girl out of the nominees to be homecoming king and queen. However, being elected is difficult due to the fact that campaigning leads to an instant disqualification.

During halftime of the homecoming football game against Lyman High, the 11 boys and the 11 girls on homecoming court were introduced and afterwards, the king and queen’s names were announced.

“Winning was the most surprising part of it all,” Wazir said. “It was already crazy enough that I was nominated for court, so winning was something I would genuinely never expect.”

Esfandieyar was just as surprised as Wazir when it came to his reaction of winning.

“I was just completely shocked and surprised.” Esfandieyar said. “I remember the exact moment because it was when I was trying to find my friends in the crowd that my name got called. I was looking in the crowd because I just had no intention of winning and just genuinely didn’t think I was gonna win.”

Not only were the two of them shocked that they had won, their parents were also astonished.

Wazir said, “My parents were equally shocked because I’ve always been a shy and awkward kid so they really never thought I’d win something like this.”

Both Wazir and Esfandieyar have ambitious goals for the future. Wazir wants to pursue journalism and political science in college and hopefully become a successful journalist. She also has a big passion for education and wants to become involved with the US Department of Education. As for Esfandieyar, he wants to study economics and business law in college.

Esfandieyar said, “I almost felt like not only my sister and my mom were my family who were present at the game, but the entire school who supported and attended the game felt like family as well.”