Contact: Michael Martinez, 277-5813

February 13, 2003 Los Alamos Native Excels While Leading Others University of New Mexico student and Los Alamos High School graduate Jason Miles Deshayes serves as mentor and scholar at UNM. As an Anderson Schools of Management ASM accounting major, Deshayes has found time to excel in his studies while also helping others achieve goals. He is the president of the New Mexico Society of Certified Public Accountants. In this capacity he helped establish a mentorship program for aspiring accountants. The son of Yvonne and Kurt Deshayes, he believes that staying involved is important and credits his parents for the inspiration to stay involved and study accounting. "My mother, as a CPA in Los Alamos, she has been a great influence for me doing well in school and in professional matters," he said. "Both my parents are also very active in community organizations, which I have taken to heart and practice." Along with his duties as a mentor, Deshayes also participates in Beta Alpha Psi, a national honor society for accounting/finance/management information systems majors. Deshayes is also an American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Minority Scholar, UNM Presidential Scholar, Anderson Foundation Scholar and Karl Christman Scholar. He credits Anderson's strong influence and presence in the business arena for luring him to UNM. "The business school has a strong sense of being active in the business community," he said. After graduation in May, Deshayes plans on taking the Uniform CPA Exam in May. In June he plans to work for Neff & Ricci, LLP in Albuquerque as a staff accountant in the tax division. He believes that ASM has prepared him for the challenge. "The professors in the accounting department are the best at the Anderson Schools and have been invaluable by teaching not only important accounting principles, but how to be a better accounting professional in the real world," he said. Of his time at UNM and particularly at ASM he says he stayed busy, but enjoyed that aspect. "Balancing school, work and the various extracurricular activities I do, I enjoy the challenge," he said. # # #

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981