Award Recipient Jasmin Weaver
The Political Science Department is proud to present the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award to Jasmin Weaver, who is honored for her outstanding contributions to policy and public service. Throughout her career, Jasmin has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to addressing social and economic inequalities, a passion that was evident even during her time as a student and has only grown stronger in her professional endeavors. Her impactful work has inspired meaningful change, reflecting the department's values of leadership, advocacy, and civic engagement. We celebrate Jasmin’s achievements and commend her dedication to creating a more just and equitable society. Congratulations to this exceptional alumna on this well-deserved recognition!
ACHIEVEMENTS
Jasmin was born and raised in Seattle and attended Franklin High School. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2002 with three majors: Political Science, Philosophy, and Community and Environmental Planning. At UW she earned the Dean’s Medal as the top graduate in all of the social sciences, she served as President of the Associated Students of the University of Washington, she earned a Mary Gates Leadership Scholarship, and she successfully sued the University Board of Regents to block an illegal tuition increase, forcing the University to refund $1.5 million to students. After graduating from UW, Jasmin was selected as a George Mitchell scholar, receiving a year of fully funded study in Ireland, where she obtained a Master of Science in Equality Studies from University College Dublin and played on the University’s women’s soccer team.
Weaver served as Deputy Director of Seattle’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations, overseeing the City’s interactions with the state and federal governments and tribal nations. Before that, she worked as Legislative Director for a national union organizing campaign, helping organize tens of thousands of workers across the country to secure better pay and benefits. She also worked in budgeting and strategic planning at Harvard University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government.
WHERE IS SHE NOW?
Since 2017, Jasmin Weaver has served as the Executive Vice President of Civic Ventures, an organization that works to reduce economic inequality at the local, state, and national levels. At Civic Ventures, she has led several policy efforts that have profoundly impacted countless people’s lives. She led successful campaigns at the state and federal levels to increase overtime protections for workers, substantially increasing pay for millions of working-class people. She led successful local and statewide efforts to make Washington’s tax system less regressive, helping pass Washington’s capital gains tax to fund education and Seattle’s JumpStart tax to fund affordable housing. And she regularly meets with national, state, and local elected officials to advise on economic policy messaging and discuss the importance of emphasizing progressive economic policies. She now lives in South Seattle with her husband, three energetic children, and a dog, and enjoys hiking, reading, and eating chocolate.