Nine-year-old Pennsylvania boy graduates from HIGH SCHOOL after taking accelerated online courses – Mensa member says he wants to study astrophysics in college
- Bensalem’s David Balogun is the youngest graduate of the Reach Cyber Charter School, having completed the program in third grade
- David has already started taking college courses at Bucks County Community College and wants to be an astrophysicist
- David also received the 2022 Distinguished Student Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Gifted Education
A nine-year-old boy in Pennsylvania graduated from high school and enrolled in community college after taking accelerated online courses.
Bensalem’s David Balogun is the youngest graduate of the Reach Cyber Charter School, having completed the program in third grade.
“I realized that I [was] I was able to graduate at the age of 10 or 9 as long as I made an effort, and with the help of my mom, dad and of course Reach Cyber Charter School, I was able to graduate,” he told Fox 43.
“I wanted to do it because I had the ability,” he continued. “So why not use these skills for the greater good?”
Bensalem’s David Balogun is the youngest graduate of the Reach Cyber Charter School, having completed the program in third grade
He also won the 2022 Distinguished Student Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Gifted Education
Now the nine-year-old, who is also a Mensa member, has enrolled at Bucks County Community College with hopes of becoming an astrophysicist.
“I want to be an astrophysicist and study black holes and supernovae,” he said at a press conference.
David’s parents, Henry and Ronya, said their son is always very curious and “extremely curious to know things.”
“That prepared him,” Henry told Fox 43.
David has already started taking college courses at Bucks County Community College
In his spare time, David enjoys playing karate, baseball and playing with his sister
“The word proud is not enough for that,” added his mother.
David won’t receive his official diploma until June and hopes to “take this opportunity to show I’m not the only one who can do it”.
David also received the 2022 Distinguished Student Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Gifted Education.
When he’s not studying, David enjoys playing karate, baseball and playing with his sister.
Last year, 13-year-old Elliott Tanner from Minnesota graduated from college with a degree in physics and a minor in math.
Elliott Tanner, 13, is working on his PhD after graduating from college at 13
Tanner began reading and arithmetic at the age of three. After a few years of homeschooling and a high school curriculum that took him two years to complete, he began taking college courses at age nine.
“People who hear Elliott’s story say he’s not going to be a kid or he’s grown up too fast,” Michelle said.
“He’s still a kid and the only difference is he goes to school in a different building.”
Elliott officially graduated on May 12, 2022 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and a minor in Mathematics.
He is currently working on his PhD at the University of Minnesota.
He wants to become a theoretical high-energy physicist and later a physics professor at the university.