Each year Georgetown welcomes a diverse and accomplished group of transfer students who inject new ideas and energy into campus life.

The transfer population at Georgetown is a valuable community, providing the unique perspective that accompanies already having a year or more at a different college under one’s belt.

Having already seen how other universities have handled similar issues, they give an insightful outlook on a variety of campus issues.

This is why it is encouraging to see that three out of the five tickets in this year’s Georgetown University Student Association executive election include a transfer student.

Transitioning to life at Georgetown — while seamless for some — is difficult, especially for transfers who have less time to get involved and carve out their places in student life, which are already established for most of their non-transfer peers.

It is that distinction that makes the transfer voice both a minority and an increasingly valuable presence to our school when discussing the issues that GUSA is typically charged with overseeing.

With issues ranging from the renegotiation of Georgetown’s Campus Plan to improving free speech policies on campus, it should come as no surprise to the administration that students often feel left out of the dialogue when it comes to important campus issues.

The inclusion of transfers in the institutions that act as loudspeakers shows that we as a university value the voices not only of those students who have spent the full four years on this campus, but also of those who, as a result of their shorter time as Georgetown university students, can offer a viewpoint that extends beyond the Georgetown, D.C. area and culture.

Transfers make up between 10 and 20 percent of any given class at Georgetown according to the university’s current admission statistics.

This large campus population should feel encouraged that their voices are being heard and should seek to ensure that phenomenon continues.