A group of students heard firsthand from Siah Gaye, a Sacramento State alumnus, on why being involved in student groups may give them an advantage.

Gaye, who met with students from ASI and the Santos Manuel Student Union Monday afternoon, credits a majority of his educational and professional success to his involvement as a student leader.

While in his second year at Sacramento State, he served as chapter president of the National Society of Black Engineers, and also started a student organization called TORCH.

He earned his undergraduate degree in business and is now pursuing his MBA at the University of California, Davis, and is currently a manager for electric car company Teslsa, overseeing service parts distribution in North America, Europe and Asia. Before that, he worked for Frito-Lay and Amazon, where he gained experience in supply chain management.

He also has served as communications officer on the board of directors for the Bay Area Marketing Association at the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

Photos: Robert A. Whitehead/CSUSB