Man and Woman of the Year winners were announced Friday, and with so many differences between the two winners, their biggest similarity is that they both did not expect to win. 

Both Taben Azad, Man of the Year, and Amanda Johnson, Woman of the Year, said they were surprised, but also grateful, to win such a prestigious honor.

“Being the Man of the Year, it’s a great privilege that I definitely won’t take so lightly,” Azad said.

The eight finalists were asked to choose a specific word that had meaning to them, and that they will live out their academic and leadership career with. 

Azad chose the word “tawheed,” which means the unity of humankind despite language, race and different backgrounds, from the religious text of Islam, the Quran. He said he chose this word because of the current debates regarding Grace Memorial Chapel on campus, and said he feels having a sense of unity among different faiths is important. 

Meanwhile, Johnson chose the word “courage,” because of her passion for serving issues she feels are under-served or neglected, and loves bringing awareness to those issues. Johnson said she is excited to challenge herself to use her word in different aspects of leadership.

Johnson was one of three finalists for Woman of the Year from her sorority, Delta Gamma, so she said she expected to be a runner-up.

“It was a really nice opportunity to be surrounded by such impactful women,” she said. “I was really excited to win, but even more excited that I got to share the moment with people that mattered to me.”

Azad had 14 of his friends and family — and even one of his professors — attend the banquet Friday, while most other finalists had three or four guests. 

“I bought 11 tickets and I asked Nick [Messing, coordinator of Leadership Development], like, ‘Hey can I get 11 tickets?’” Azad said. “I could just tell from his face, he was like, ‘Oh man, that’s a lot.”

Azad and Johnson were both awarded a $650 prize as Man and Woman of the Year. 

Azad said he hopes to be an ambassador with the United Nations some day. 

“We are all citizens of the world, so finding a way to unify people despite our differences is a way to make it better,” he said.

Johnson said the process has been rewarding, but even though the winners have been announced, the process isn’t over. 

“It’s really allowed me to do a lot of reflection on my character and leadership during my time at Wichita State,” she said.