9-Year-Old Science Enthusiast Becomes One Of The Youngest To Graduate High School

David Balogun is raising the standard of Black excellence for all of us. The nine-year-old Pennsylvania native has made history as one of the youngest-ever high school graduates. 

According to reports, Balogun received a diploma from Reach Cyber Charter school, confirming his place as the second youngest child to graduate high school.  

Balogun has also been one step ahead of the game. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 9-year-old scholar finished with over a 4.0 GPA, reports Business Insider. 

“When we tested him for giftedness in first grade, he had already passed a second-grade level in maths and in English,” said Ronya Balogun, David’s mother, in a video interview. 

“That’s when I stepped in, and I said, ‘he does not need to go to second grade. He needs to go to third grade. Two and a half years later, he finished high school,” Ronya added. 

The Balogun family also opened up about David’s struggles with making friends due to his unique abilities. According to an interview with Insider, Balogun had difficulty connecting with his age-mates in public school. 

“Whatever classroom or wherever I stepped into, everybody would stop talking. But when it comes to playing, we would go outside, and nobody would say, ‘David, do you want to play with me?'” David Balogun said. 

“Kids tend to go to him for direction or to ask for information or an explanation, so the social aspect had to be given from outside the school. The social aspect, for his abilities, is that you have to meet like-minded people, and most of the time, that’s adults.” 

Balogun managed to complete a whole semester by taking remote classes in Bensalem. Now, the Balogun family is looking for full-time universities to further David’s education. 

David dreams of becoming an astrophysicist, studying black holes and supernovas. David’s family opened up about their quest to find the right school for Balogun to continue his studies. 

“We’re still kind of grappling with all these things, if that makes any sense, to figure out what is the right fit,” said Ronya Balogun. 

“You can imagine a 9-year-old running around a campus [alone],” added Henry Balogun. “It’s difficult for him to focus on what adults usually like to focus on.” 

The family is considering Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard University as Balogun’s next choice but are yet to decide what university will be best for the young genius.