9-Year-Old US Boy Graduates High School, Wishes To Become An Astrophysicist

A nine-year-old boy in Pennsylvania, US, has become one of the youngest graduates from high school and has begun earning credits toward a college degree. David Balogun received his diploma from Reach Cyber Charter School in Harrisburg after taking classes remotely, as per a report in The Guardian. 

He attributes his accomplishments to a number of his favourite teachers and his love of science and computer programming.

The boy spoke to a TV channel in Pennsylvania, WGAL, and stated that he already knows what he wants to do for a living. "I want to be an astrophysicist, and I want to study black holes and supernovas," he said.

Even though David's parents have advanced degrees, they admitted that raising a child with such a remarkable brain is difficult.

"He's a 9-year-old with a brain that just has the capacity to understand and comprehend a lot of concepts that's beyond his years and sometimes beyond my understanding," Ronya Balogun, David's mother, told the channel.

David's teachers acknowledged that they gained knowledge from their unusually gifted student. 
Cody Derr, David's science teacher,  stated: "David was an inspirational kid, definitely one who changes the way you think about teaching."

Also Read: Woman In US Gets Her Master's Degree At The Age Of 89

The outlet stated that David, who is a member of the Mensa high intelligence society, has attended Bucks County Community College for one semester since graduating from Reach Charter School. Meanwhile, the family has been researching other colleges and universities to find the best fit for the boy. 

In addition to academics, David is pursuing a martial arts black belt, enjoys other sports and plays the piano.

Michael Kearney, who earned the Guinness world record for youngest high school graduation in 1990 at the age of six, is the only person younger than David to achieve the feat. He went on to acquire master's degrees at ages 14 and 18 and won more than $1 million on game shows.