Sahil Nair (SFS’19) and Naba Rahman (SFS’19) were officially sworn in as president and vice president, respectively, of the Georgetown University Student Association on the front steps of Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy Saturday, keeping with the tradition of year’s past.

The ceremony comes after the election results were confirmed by the GUSA Senate on Feb. 25. Nair and Rahman were elected to the GUSA Executive branch on Feb. 22, defeating Josh Sirois (SFS’20) and Casey Doherty (COL’20) by a narrow margin of 36 votes.

Nair and Rahman said they have been transitioning into their new roles while maintaining sight of their campaign promises since being confirmed to the executive, .

“Our focus for the year ahead remains the same as our focus during the campaign: bringing voices from all corners of campus together,” Nair and Rahman wrote in a statement to The Hoya. “As we are tackling the pressing issues related to inclusivity, accountability and affordability at Georgetown, we will continue to draw as much as we can from our fellow Hoyas and empower advocates from across campus to make much-needed changes to the student experience.”

The pair said they are already establishing the foundations to realize their goals for next year.

“We are quickly building relationships with valuable partners for the year ahead and gaining important insight into key issues that will help us set our agenda for the year ahead,” Nair and Rahman wrote.

Ben Baldwin (SFS ’19), speaker of the GUSA senate, said he and Sylvia Levy (SFS ’18), GUSA vice speaker have been working closely with Nair and Rahman to help fulfill their vision.

“Sylvia and I have spent a lot of our time with the new administration answering questions, setting timelines, and discussing our goals for the student association, so I am excited to see Sahil and Naba get to work on behalf of the student body,” Baldwin wrote in an email to The Hoya.

However, Baldwin said the newly inaugurated pair may face hurdles as prepare to take over from outgoing GUSA president and vice president, Kamar Mack (COL’19) and Jessica Andino (COL’18).

“The primary obstacle that incoming executive administrations face is the process of onboarding new individuals and establishing not only the internal hierarchy of GUSA but making those initial contacts with administrators as they begin their advocacy work,” Baldwin wrote.

The GUSA Senate must work closely with Nair and Rahman in this process, according to Baldwin.

“The GUSA Senate handles the confirmation process for a number of executive positions and board placements, so Senate leadership is intimately involved in the Cabinet selection process,” Baldwin wrote. “We generally see some senators depart to join the executive as the incoming administration draws on both experienced leaders from within and outside of GUSA to form its Cabinet.”

Though some senators regularly leave around this time to fill cabinet positions, upcoming elections in April ensure the positions are not left vacant for too long, Baldwin wrote.

Nair and Rahman said they were excited to begin assembling their cabinet, one of the major tasks they must accomplish at this point.

“We were fortunate enough to receive over 100 applications to join — some with years of student government experience and others engaging for the first time. We are incredibly humbled by the response from campus and are excited by the team we are putting together,” Nair and Rahman wrote.

The inauguration ceremony also took place the night after the first ever GUSA Gala, which raised money for the mental health stipend and celebrated the work of Mack and Andino.

Mack said he is confident in the Nair and Rahman’s ability and looks forward to what they will accomplish during their term.

“Sahil and Naba are two very capable and passionate individuals who I believe will bring forth meaningful change on campus,” Mack wrote in an email to The Hoya. “They have worked hard in the weeks following their election to meet with dozens of administrators in order to discuss their plans for creating a more supportive and vibrant campus.”

Nair and Rahman said they were grateful for the support they have received so far.

“We are thankful to Kamar, Jessica and the Senate for the warm welcome into the GUSA family. We’re looking forward to working with this group of Senators as they round out their term as well as the next class as we enter the upcoming school year,” the executives wrote.