Clayton Shay Widmer was born in Peoria, Illinois, and attended Canton High School. He graduated from Spoon River College in 2013 before transferring to Illinois State University, where he studied sociology and psychology. While at SRC, Clayton served as both Vice President and President of the Student Government Association.
Reflecting on his time at SRC, Clayton shared, “After my first semester, I had a terrible GPA. I dug myself out of a hole, and by the time I graduated, I was in great academic standing—thanks in large part to my professors and other staff. For me, SRC was a great transition into adulthood.”
After college, Clayton moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music. Since then, he has toured across the U.S. and Canada, performing for crowds of up to 20,000 people. He has released 20 songs, earning tens of millions of streams and charting on the iTunes Country charts.
Clayton’s advice to SRC staff is to “continue to push students to find something they are passionate about.”
