Our Story
All-Star Trustee Leadership
Guided by lived experience. Driven by fiduciary purpose.
The Resilient Journey
From Crucible to Commission
Dear Trustees, Partners, and Academic Leaders,
Educated Reality was born out of a profound and personal understanding of the transformative power of education. My own path from the public housing projects of Spanish Harlem and the Bronx, through the complexities of the criminal justice system, to ultimate academic liberation was catalyzed by an accredited prison education program. This lived experience taught me that education is the ultimate vehicle for human dignity and socioeconomic mobility.
But it also taught me an uncomfortable truth: today's academic systems are drowning in an ocean of administrative and regulatory friction. Vulnerable students, first-generation scholars, adult learners, student-athletes, and justice-impacted individuals frequently encounter a 'hidden curriculum' of bureaucratic barriers. To a student struggling with imposter syndrome, a complex registration hold or an opaque financial aid verification loop is not merely an inconvenience; it is interpreted as an institutional rejection.
Educated Reality exists to change this paradigm. We believe that true institutional compliance is not a defensive 'checkbox' exercise, but a proactive engine for student equity and retention. By combining elite strategic advisory with high-impact, licensed compliance curricula, we dismantle administrative silos, protect federal funding, and preserve student dignity.
"My journey from a prison cell to a doctoral hood is not a story about myself; it is a testament to the untapped potential that exists within our most overlooked communities."
With my highest regards and respect,
Dr. Rafael Class II
Founder & CEO, Educated Reality
Governance
The Board of Trustees
An all-star governance body uniting elite expertise across higher education, NCAA athletics, correctional education, and human resources.
Dr. Rafael Class II
President & CEO
Ed.D., MLS, MSRE, MBA, B.S.
Focus
Enterprise Risk Management, Regulatory Systems Design, and the Cultural Synergy Framework™.
Education
Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration and Organizational Leadership (Liberty University); Master of Legal Studies (MLS) in Compliance (Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law); Master of Science in Real Estate (Fordham University Graduate Division); MBA in Finance (University of the Southwest); BS in Organizational Management (Alliance University/Nyack). Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Change Management Specialist.
Dr. Cory Potter
HR & Labor Trustee
Ed.D., Ed.S., M.Div., M.A., B.S.
Focus
Inclusive Human Capital Architectures, Labor Standards, and Inclusive Talent Management.
Education
Ed.D. in Curriculum and Assessment (University of West Florida); Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Curriculum and Instruction (University of West Florida); Master of Divinity (M.Div.) in Pastoral Studies/Counseling (Rawlings School of Divinity / Liberty Theological Seminary, Magna Cum Laude); M.A. in Professional Counseling (Liberty University); B.S. in Orthotics & Prosthetics (UT Southwestern Medical Center).
Dr. Cedric Gathings
Student Affairs Trustee
Ed.D., M.Ed., B.S., A.A.
Focus
Student Affairs Policy, Enrollment Stability, and Student-Success Validation.
Education
Ed.D. in Higher Education (Concordia University Chicago); Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Sociology; B.S. in Social Science (Delta State University); Associate of Arts (A.A.) (Northeast Mississippi Community College). Alumnus of the Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program (CPFP).
Rev. Cynthia Dorsey, MBA
DOC & Prison Education Trustee
MBA, M.Div.
Focus
Carceral Educational Program Design, DOC Interagency Negotiations, and Academic Prison Alliances.
Education
Master of Business Administration (MBA); Master of Divinity (M.Div.). Former Executive Director of the Nyack College Fishkill Correctional Facility Program; Adjunct Professor at Westchester Community College.
Fiduciary Excellence. Radically Transparent.
Educated Reality Consulting Group is governed by independent directors serving as fiduciaries under the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act. The Board exercises ultimate oversight, sets fiduciary parameters, and ensures all corporate activities strictly align with our exempt educational and charitable purposes.