Clayton Maxwell of Indiana was just recognized as the 3rd runner up of the 2025 Mr. America Global competition. He chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his advocacy, prior to the pageant.
Author Roy T. Bennett once said: “Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’s life. Be the light that helps others see; it is what gives life its deepest significance.” This quote applies to Clayton Maxwell.
Following his accolade at the 2025 Mr. America Global, Maxwell will go on to represent the USA in the upcoming “Man of the Year” competition.
The Mr. America Global competition is more than just a showcase of style and presence—it is a transformative experience designed to empower participants with the skills, confidence, and knowledge to excel both personally and professionally.
Representing Indiana
On repping Indiana, he said, “I currently live in Washington, D.C., but I’ve spent about 12 years of my life in Indiana when it was a really formative time to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do.”
Advocacy for Mr. America Global
On his advocacy for Mr. America Global, he shared, “It is called ‘Power to Thrive,’ which supports the Trevor Project. I want to empower the LGBTQIA+ youth to thrive with life-saving resources such as a hotline, where they can have somebody that they can talk to, and that hits home for me because I couldn’t talk to my parents and my family about being gay.”
“If I had the resources about the Trevor Project’s ‘Power to Thrive’ or if I even knew about it, that could really help the youth that need someone just to talk to, or somebody just to listen to them… or someone who is struggling with suicide to help them through that process.”
“Unfortunately, in Indiana, people don’t want you to talk about those things or be a certain way,” he acknowledged.
Success
Regarding his definition of success, “Success means being fulfilled, being myself, being authentic and helping others. Success means giving back… I have my own 60-pound weight loss program because I am an online nutrition coach.”
“I am a metabolism coach, and I have my own personal experience of losing 60 pounds of body fat, and I enjoy giving back and coaching my clients because I know exactly where they are.”
“So, success means continuing my passion and helping others achieve their goals,” he concluded.
To learn more about Clayton Maxwell, follow him on Instagram.
