9-year-old exceptional boy graduates from US high school, set to earn degree in Astrophysics at 12 years old

A 9-year-old boy with exceptional academic abilities has graduated from a high school in the United States and is on track to earn a degree in Astrophysics at the age of 12.

David Balogun, a 9-year-old boy, has made history at Reach Cyber Charter School in Pennsylvania, United States, by earning an exceptional 4.0 GPA and becoming the school’s youngest-ever graduate.

Typically in the United States, students complete high school at the age of 18, but David Balogun broke this norm by graduating from high school at the age of 9. He has now begun his college education with the goal of pursuing a career in astrophysics.

David Balogun explained that he did not initially plan to finish high school at a young age, but when he discovered it was achievable, he set it as his goal and worked towards it.

David didn’t originally plan to attend college early, but after he became aware that it was feasible, he decided to pursue it as a goal. “At the beginning, I just wanted to graduate early. And then after third grade, the teacher said that I should go to fourth grade… so at that point, I decided I want to graduate at the age of 10,” David said.

David shared that his mother played a crucial role in helping him achieve his goal of graduating high school at the age of 9. She encouraged him to put in the effort, promising to advocate for him and help him achieve his dream. “My mom said, if you put the effort in, we will advocate for you and you probably will be able to graduate at the age of nine. So I decided, OK, I’ll graduate at the age of nine,” he explained.

David started an accelerated program in 2020, utilizing online classes and studying year-round with a high level of interest in various subjects.

David shared that his favorite subject is learning new things, which includes a variety of subjects such as art, math, science, English, and social studies.

Rewritten: David’s mother, Ronya Balogun, called her son’s journey an exciting one, stating that he had been enthusiastic about the STEM program since he was seven years old. She said, “When he heard the word ‘STEM’ program, he was jumping up and down. I said, ‘Okay, this is where we’re going, this is what we’re doing.’ He loved it from the first moment. It’s been an amazing journey.”

She added that the family is thrilled about his accomplishments and is currently looking into Ivy League schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Harvard for him to continue pursuing his dream of becoming an astrophysicist.

Henry Balogun expressed his happiness and pride for his son’s achievements, stating that it has always been his joy to see him in this position today.

In addition, David’s parents advise other parents to support their children and think outside the box to advocate for them. Ronya Balogun stated that it can be very rewarding to do so, but it requires being able to see things outside of the system and not giving up.

Ronya Balogun encouraged parents to be their child’s biggest supporter and believe in them even when they doubt themselves. She advised them to advocate for their child, speak up, and not give up. She also said that parents should be their child’s cheerleader and tell them that there are no limits to their dreams and where they can go.