A 9-year-old Pennsylvania boy earned his high school diploma online and — with his parent’s help — is looking for a dream college to study black holes and supernovas

• At simply 9 years previous, David Balogun has graduated highschool and is searching for his subsequent step.
• He accomplished a semester of neighborhood faculty whereas he and his household search for full-time universities.
• Balogun mentioned he needs to be an astrophysicist and examine black holes and supernovas.

In between training piano, varied sports activities, and martial arts, David Balogun likes to find out about science and pc programming.

The 9-year-old from Bucks County, Pennsylvania has earned his highschool diploma and is now on the hunt for faculties. 

David began college shortly earlier than the coronavirus pandemic shuttered the nation in early 2020 and completed with over a 4.0 GPA lower than three years later. 

“After we examined him for giftedness in first grade, he had already handed second-grade degree in math and in English,” Ronya Balogun, David’s mom, informed Insider in a video interview. 

“In order that’s after I stepped in, and I mentioned, ‘He doesn’t have to go to second grade. He must go to 3rd grade.’ Then Covid hit,” she added. “Two and a half years later, he completed highschool.” 

David Balogun, who lives in Bensalem together with his household, accomplished his highschool courses on-line on the Harrisburg-based Attain Cyber Constitution Faculty, the place he bought to concentrate on STEM topics, his household informed Insider. He needs to be an astrophysicist, finding out black holes and supernovas.

WGAL, an NBC Information TV affiliate in Pennsylvania, first reported this story. The outlet additionally famous that David is a member of the unique high-IQ society Mensa. Different baby prodigies like David embrace Pulizer-winning journalist Ronan Farrow, who graduated highschool at age 11 and faculty at 15, per The Washington Put up; and Guinness World File holder Michael Kearney, who graduate from highschool at age 6 in 1990, based on AL.com.

Since highschool, David has achieved some neighborhood faculty courses, and his dad and mom informed Insider they’re now searching for the proper faculty the place David can proceed his research. Nevertheless, which college he’ll attend continues to be up for debate within the Balogun family, particularly since it might require some lodging given his age.

The household is contemplating Princeton College, the College of Pennsylvania, and Harvard College, they informed Insider in a video interview. 

“We’re nonetheless sort of grappling with all this stuff, if that makes any sense, to determine what’s the proper match. Once more, he is 9 years previous, I am not dropping my child off,” Ronya Balogun informed Insider. “It is going to take quite a bit.” 

Henry and Ronya Balogun, who personal an outpatient psychiatric clinic collectively, have a number of superior levels between the 2 of them. 

“You possibly can think about a 9-year-old working round a campus by himself,” Henry Balogun mentioned. “It is tough for him to concentrate on what adults normally wish to concentrate on. They usually would possibly see him as ‘OK, the place is the mum or dad? The place is your dad?’ Or the place is your mother?’” 

Earlier than he went to high school on-line, David struggled to “actually have associates ” in public college, Ronya Balogun informed Insider. 

“No matter classroom or wherever I stepped into, all people would simply cease speaking. However in terms of really taking part in, we might go exterior and no one would say, ‘David, do you need to play with me?’” David Balogun mentioned. “But when we’re contained in the classroom and we’re taking part in, I am the god of the classroom.” 

“Not the god. The chief perhaps,” Ronya Balogun, who’s spiritual, added. “Children are inclined to go to him for route or to ask for data or to ask for an evidence, so the social facet needed to be given from exterior the varsity. The social facet, for his talents, is that you must meet like-minded folks, and more often than not, that is adults.”

As Ronya Balogun mentioned the “dichotomy of being that younger and that sensible,” David performed together with his Legos. His favourite, he informed Inisder with an indication, is the Mindstorms Robotic Inventor, which he constructed and coded. 

“He is taking part in together with his Legos. He is only a regular 9-year-old,” Ronya Balogun mentioned. “He is a child, you recognize what I am saying? So simply because his thoughts can comprehend and perceive and fathom and have a very massive dialogue with you about massive concepts or theories, doesn’t imply he isn’t going to behave like a 9-year-old.”