Meet David Balogun, a 9-year-old African American child prodigy from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania who has already graduated high school. He is now looking to enroll in a college where he wants to study astrophysics.
David earned his high school diploma from Reach Cyber Charter School, and he completed his classes online just less than 3 years since he started shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
David, who enjoys science and computer programming, took classes that focused on STEM subjects. He earned over a 4.0 GPA.
“I want to be an astrophysicist, and study black holes and supernovas,” David told WYMT.
David came from a family of achievers. His parents Henry and Ronya Balogun, who own an outpatient psychiatric clinic, have advanced degrees. But they admit that raising a young child with extraordinary intellectual gifts like David is challenging.
“He’s a 9-year-old with a brain that does have the capacity to understand and comprehend a lot of concepts that are beyond his years. And sometimes beyond my understanding,” said Ronya.
After taking a few college classes at Bucks County Community College, David and his family are looking to find a suitable university where he can continue to study considering his age. They said they are currently considering the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Harvard University.
Moreover, his parents also do not want to rush him with his studies and they make sure he still lives like a normal 9-year-old boy. Aside from studying, David also enjoys sports, piano, martial arts, and playing with Legos.