A nine-year-old from Pennsylvania is the second-youngest person ever to graduate from high school, and he’s now shooting for the stars as he plans a career as an astrophysicist.
David Balogun said he was overjoyed after getting one step closer to fulfilling his dream of studying “black holes and supernovas.”
The young prodigy stunned the staff at Harrisburg’s Reach Cyber Charter School as he raced through the school curriculum.
Having completed his classes remotely in just a few years, David has already completed a semester of community college while his parents scour the country for the perfect university for him to go on to greatness.
David Balogun, pictured, is the second youngest person to ever complete high school
The nine-year-old said he is already planning a career as an astrophysicist
Despite taking many of his classes online, the 9-year-old phenom praised his former high school for letting him go to college so quickly.
“(The school) didn’t let me down,” he said WGAL.
“They also advocated for me, saying, ‘He can do this, he can do that.’
‘I want to be an astrophysicist and I want to study black holes and supernovae.’
Cody Derr, one of David’s high school teachers, said the young mastermind was above the class despite his tender age.
“David was an inspiring kid,” she said.
“He’s definitely someone who changes the way you think about teaching.”
In addition to thriving in science and computer programming, the nine-year-old is also said to be a talented pianist and work toward a black belt in martial arts.
David’s parents, who themselves both have college degrees, emphasized that raising a young genius is not without its challenges.
His mother Ronya said she had to come “out of the box” in her efforts to raise David during his intelligent childhood.
She added that despite his genius-level intelligence, David is still a normal kid who likes activities like other kids his age.
“Playing pillow fights when you’re not supposed to, throwing balls in the house.”
“He’s a nine-year-old with a brain that just has the ability to comprehend and comprehend a lot of concepts beyond his age — and sometimes beyond my understanding.”
In addition to his early academic success, the boy is also reportedly a member of Mensa, a prestigious high-IQ group open only to those who score in the 98th percentile or higher in standardized supervised IQ tests.
David’s parents, who both have college degrees themselves, said they had to get “out of the box” when raising the young prodigy
Cody Derr, pictured, said the nine-year-old was an “inspiration” when she taught him
Having already completed a semester at Bucks County Community College, David’s parents are now searching for the best colleges in the country to plan the next chapter in the young virtuoso’s life.
His father added that despite his great potential, finding the right university to help the child progress is just as important as getting into a university with a prestigious name.
“Am I going to wreak havoc on my nine-year-old while I still live in PA? No,’ his father added.
David’s graduation marks him as the second youngest ever to earn a high school diploma, though he’s three full years away from beating the incredible record.
The record was set by Michael Kearney, who more than three decades ago became the youngest high school senior ever when he graduated in 1990, just six years old.
David Kearney, pictured, became the youngest high school graduate ever in 1990 at just six years old
The kid went on to attend the University of South Alabama, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology, as he also became the youngest person ever to graduate from the university at age 10.
Kearney later earned a master’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University at just 14 years old and has since completed a Ph.D. in chemistry.
He began teaching college when he was still a teenager, and as a contestant on various game shows, Kearney has won over $1 million.
Despite David Balogun’s best efforts, Kearney’s record has stood the test of time, and he is said to have an incredible IQ of 200, according to the Geniuses Club.
