06 February 2023 , 14:51
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A nine-year-old boy has become one of the youngest people ever to graduate from high school and has even started working towards his college degree.
David Balogun, from Pennsylvania, US, got his diploma from Reach Cyber Charter School, which is based in Harrisburg, the state capital.
David worked remotely from his home in Bensalem, Philadelphia, and says the school was a great help for him achieving this.
He said: "They didn't bog me down. They also advocated for me, saying, 'He can do this. He can do that'."
With his love of science and computer programming, David is hoping to become a scientist.
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He explained: "I want to be an astrophysicist, and I want to study black holes and supernovas."
One of his tutors at school said: “We’re just proud that we [were] able to individualise his instruction.”
David took the classes remotely (ABC 7)David isn't just about studying though he also plays sports and the piano. He is training towards his black belt in martial arts.
His mum Ronya said it was difficult raising a child with such capacity for learning.
She said: "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."
David also credits his progress to his teachers.
His science teacher Cody Derr said:"David was an inspirational kid, definitely one who changes the way you think about teaching."
Now David and his family are figuring out where to go from here and even eyeing up college for the young prodigy.
His dad Henry said: "Am I going to throw my 9-year-old into Harvard while I'm living in PA? No."
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One of the youngest pupils to finish school with his diploma (ABC 7)Graduating at the age of nine puts David among the youngest people ever to graduate from high school.
The person holding the Guinness World Record is Michael Kearney.
Kearney received his high school diploma at the age of six and went on to get his degree at the age of eight.
He then won more than $1m on game shows.