A 9-Year-Old Attends Community College After Receiving High School Diploma

David Balogun, 9-years-old, Black boy, smiling
Facebook/Bucks County Community College

“I'm looking into studying astrophysics, chemistry, artificial intelligence and engineering," 9-year-old David Balogun told ABC 6.

A Pennsylvania 9-year-old graduated high school and has started classes at a community college while he and his parents figure out the next step of his academic career.

David Balogun attended Reach Cyber Charter School remotely during the pandemic and received his high school diploma last month, according to WVTM 13

"They didn't bog me down. They also advocated for me, saying, 'He can do this. He can do that,'" Balogun told WTVM 13. 

Since the 9-year-old graduated high school, he has begun taking classes through his local community college, according to ABC 6.

The school recognized him at the end of February as the youngest student to ever attend the school. Balogun said the transition has been easy for him and he’s already completed three courses through the school while he figures out the next steps, ABC 13 reported. 

Balogun’s parents are proud of their young genius but say having such a gifted child can have its challenges, WTVM 13 reported.

"I had to get outside of the box. Playing pillow fights when you're not supposed to, throwing the balls in the house. He's a 9-year-old with the brain that has the capacity to understand and comprehend a lot of concepts beyond his years and sometimes beyond my understanding," Balogun's mother, Ronya, told WTVM 13.

"Right now, we're looking at going to universities or Ivy League universities. I'm looking into studying astrophysics, chemistry, artificial intelligence and engineering," Balogun told ABC 6.

The young high school graduate has big goals for himself but his parents want to ensure the school is a good fit for their young son.

"Am I going to throw my 9-year-old into Harvard while I'm living in PA? No," Balogun's father, Henry, told WVTM 13. 

Balogun is no doubt a very accomplished kid, according to oldest.org, a site that lists some of the youngest high school graduates, Balogun has now become one of the youngest kids to finish high school. 

He doesn’t plan on stopping though — he told ABC 6 his next goal is to get his doctorate degree at 13 years old. 

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