There are many ways one could measure how bright a valedictorian is. There are the spotless, straight-A transcripts, the accumulation of advanced placement courses, or the acceptance into an Ivy League college. Tyler Clites, of Dunbarton, who is the valedictorian for Goffstown High School this year, has all those marks of an exceptional student. Then, there is the pogo stick.

According to Principal Frank McBride, Clites can solve a Rubik’s cube while jumping on a pogo stick.

“Two and a half, three minutes later, the Rubik’s cube will be finished,” McBride said. McBride said Clites was as bright a student as any he has seen in his seven years as an administrator at Goffstown High. His academic achievements, combined with his athleticism and school spirit, make him unique, McBride said.

As a young child, Clites at first did not come across as a gifted student. Instead, his elementary school thought he had attention deficit disorder. After an examination, however, his school realized something else was wrong. It turned out he was not being challenged in his classes.

By the time he entered high school, Clites was performing well above average, especially in math. His freshman year, he took two courses: algebra II and geometry. The following year, he completed AP statistics and pre-calculus, then moved onto the calculus courses available at the school. This year, the school district covered his tuition for a calculus III course at Saint Anselm College.

Although he is most proficient at math, his passion is for the humanities.

“I really enjoy other subject areas,” Clites said. “I really like discussion and debate.”

He often will get into deep conversations with one of his close friends on topics such as the existence of God and the origin of human moral intuitions.

He is looking forward to more of that when he heads to Harvard University this fall.

But Clites is not consumed by the world of academia – whether it be math, science or the humanities.

“That’s something I’ve worked on,” Clites said. “I really do like to have the social aspect of it.”

He is the vice president of his class, giving him a seat on the student council, and holds the same position for the National Honor Society. Clites has also been active in Model Congress and is an Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts. In addition, he is involved in the priesthood program in his church, the Church of Latter Day Saints of Jesus Christ.

Clites spends much of his time with school sports. For three years, he has been a varsity wrestler, and when he is not in the sports arena himself, he is one of the most devoted fans for other athletes, said McBride.

Once, for a championship baseball game this year, Clites showed up in full body paint, half maroon and half white – the school colors.

Clites will stand out again as the valedictorian speaker at graduation, which is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at the Saint Anselm College Sullivan Arena. Todd Lavallee, the dean of students and the wrestling coach for Clites, said it is a moment he deserves.

“This is the moment that he’s going to be in the spotlight,” Lavallee said. “I’m proud to see him in that position.”