Melina Nastasi

Melina Nastasi is a double major in Communication and Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University, graduating in Spring 2027. With a passion for public relations and creative media, Nastasi brings creativity and excitement to her work.

With hands-on experience as a writer and editor for a family office, she has developed thought leadership content and created and edited marketing materials for the firm. At Rutgers, Nastasi has continued to grow her portfolio through managing social media accounts, leading a communications team, and overseeing financial records for the Panhellenic Council.

Outside of class, she runs her own photography business, shooting weddings, graduations, and milestone events for clients.

Nastasi is currently interviewing for full-time positions beginning in Summer 2027. Her resume is available upon request. Get in touch

Selected work

Flynn Family Office 2026

Forbes Finance Council thought leadership

Goal: Build the COO's voice as a member of the Forbes Finance Council.
My role: Ghostwrote his Council contributions.
Result: His commentary was published in a Forbes article.

Read the Forbes article

Principles of Public Relations Rutgers, Spring 2026 Group project, 7 members

HBO Max "Lanterns" campaign

Goal: Build public awareness for the HBO Max series Lanterns and earn press coverage by positioning it as a must-watch cultural moment.
My role: Wrote the assignment recap and led the campaign research: media and audience perception, Gen Z streaming behavior, media competition, and the strategic opportunity connecting Lanterns to the DCU rollout. Developed campaign concepts and the rollout timeline with the team.
Result: Submitted to HBO Max communications executives, whose feedback singled out our research on the conversation around the series and our social platform strategy.

View the campaign deck (PDF)

Public Information and Public Relations Rutgers, Spring 2026 Group project, 5 members

Shein ReThread media kit

Goal: Create a media kit introducing ReThread, a fictional sustainability relaunch for Shein addressing consumer concerns about labor conditions and environmental impact.
My role: Team lead and co-editor. Wrote the background, mission statement, and global reach messaging, expanded the FAQ, and wrote my bio. Developed the product launch, social media promotion, and influencer partnership strategy, and created the supporting graphics and campaign statistics.
Result: Delivered a complete media kit with company background, FAQ, team bios, a launch and influencer strategy, and campaign graphics.

View the media kit (PDF)

Rutgers Panhellenic Council Branding and Outreach Coordinator 2025–2026

Panhellenic Instagram

1.3M+views in 90 days

76K+accounts reached

190%growth in profile activity

I designed carousels and event graphics in Canva and Adobe Express for a council representing 10 chapters, and built QR code attendance tracking that turned event check-ins into a 700+ person outreach database.

Instagram Insights showing 1,333,106 views and 76,479 accounts reached over 90 days, November 6 to February 3 — Views, Nov 6 to Feb 3

Profile activity, Nov 12 to Feb 9, compared with the prior 90 days

Grid of Rutgers Panhellenic Instagram posts, including Black History Month features and recruitment guides — Panhellenic Instagram feed

Grid of Rutgers Panhellenic Instagram posts, including the formal recruitment countdown and chapter features — Formal recruitment campaign, Spring 2026

Rutgers Panhellenic Council Branding and Outreach Coordinator 2025

The Panhellenic Passport Program

A travel-themed recruitment campaign. Students enrolled in the passport program at the Involvement Fair for a chance to win free recruitment registration. I created the campaign graphics, the postcard-style Meet the Sisters schedule, the "Greetings from Panhellenic" card for informal recruitment, and an Instagram Story how-to guide.

View the Passport post on Instagram

How-to guide, Instagram Story

Start Your Journey with Panhellenic graphic for the Involvement Fair, styled as a postcard over a pool and sky — Involvement Fair graphic

Postcard-style Meet the Sisters schedule listing dates and locations for each chapter — Meet the Sisters schedule

Greetings from Panhellenic card with member photos inside each letter — Informal recruitment greeting card

Rutgers Athletics Spirit Program Creative Intern 2024–2026

Sir Henry, the Rutgers mascot, on Instagram

8,231 to 10.5Kfollowers over 21 months

I co-led the account with another intern, planning, captioning, and posting content, and researched mascots at other universities and pop culture trends to pitch content, costume, and prop ideas.

Flynn Family Office 2026

LinkedIn and X content

Posts and graphics for a family office serving 70+ clients with $1B+ in assets.

Select a post to view it on LinkedIn or X.

FFO LinkedIn post promoting a partner's quote in the Forbes Finance Council article on scenario planning

FFO LinkedIn post announcing a partner's keynote at the Becoming the Preferred Advisor to UHNW Families conference

FFO LinkedIn post sharing a partner's perspective in Financial Advisor Magazine on UHNW celebrity business managers

FFO post on X sharing Evan Jehle's perspective in the Forbes Finance Council article on scenario planning

FFO post on X quoting Evan Jehle on how celebrity business managers are evolving into strategic advisors

Writing

20 Ways To Incorporate Scenario Planning Into Budgeting Forbes, ghostwritten Commentary for the firm's COO, quoted in this Forbes Finance Council article
New York Fashion Week Enters New Era with Fenty Beauty by Rihanna as Title Sponsor Press release Class assignment. A fictional announcement written as practice.
H&R Block Launches "Get Your Taxes Won" Campaign Press release Class assignment. A fictional announcement written as practice.
From Backstage to Center Stage: LaunchPad Music Debuts with Its Inaugural Summit Blog feature Written for LaunchPad, a youth employment nonprofit, covering its first music industry summit
Disguised as Entertainment: How TikTok's Algorithm Amplifies Dominant Ideologies Through Viral Trends Research paper Media and Popular Culture, Rutgers, Spring 2026. Argues that TikTok works as a site of cultural production where entertaining trends embed and amplify dominant ideologies, through a close look at Girl Math, Tradwife, and Hustle Culture.
Internal Briefing on High Noon Product Recall Memo Class assignment. A crisis communications briefing on a product recall caused by a mislabeled can.

Undergraduate researchRutgers Undergraduate Writing Research Conference

Snap a Shot at Happiness: Smartphone Photography's Effect on College Students' Mental Health

Undergraduate research. Selected presenter at the Rutgers Undergraduate Writing Research Conference, one of 80 presenters chosen from 368 applicants during my freshman year.

Question: How does smartphone photography affect college students' mental health and well-being?
Argument: Smartphone photography is an effective tool for supporting college students' mental health and well-being when it's used without the interference of social media. By encouraging people to notice and acknowledge their sources of happiness, it can foster positive emotions and a broader sense of appreciation. Posting those photos to social media, however, disrupts the therapeutic effect and can contribute to low self-esteem, negative self-talk, anxiety, and depression.
Why it matters: Campus mental health services face understaffing, long waitlists, and limited support. Therapeutic photography is a cheap, accessible way for students to take their mental health care into their own hands, yet few students know about it.

Full paper available on request. Get in touch