We introduced Will to our flok community in 2023 when he won a Guthrie-Koch Scholarship. Now a rising junior at University of Washington, Will spent his summer interning with flok. We caught up with him to learn more about his journey, college life with PKU, and what lies ahead.
Campus Life and PKU
Navigating college life with PKU comes with challenges, but Will has also found new freedoms.
“I make my own schedule and I can drink my formula whenever I want—without having to discuss it with teachers like I did in high school.”
During his freshman year, Will lived in the dormitories and was given access to a private kitchen to store formula and prepare meals. The accommodation came about only because he spoke up. “My dad suggested I reach out to the building manager of the dorm to ask for accommodations for my formula, and that’s what got me access to a massive kitchen that made things so much easier.” He encourages other young adults with metabolic conditions to advocate for themselves when they transition to new settings.
Now the vice president of his fraternity, Will enjoys the benefits of living in an off-campus house—with a chef! Having never cooked for someone with PKU, the UW chef took a special interest in Will’s dietary needs and even read Virginia Schuett’s Apples to Zucchini cookbook for inspiration (these recipes are now available on CookForLove.org). Will is grateful for her support, which gives him extra time to focus on his studies and activities.
From flok App User to Intern
After his sophomore year, Will began an internship at flok supporting app development. As a computer science major with a passion for serving the metabolic community, it was a natural fit.
Will has supported the development team by testing and implementing new features. As both a user of the flok app and now a contributor, he sees firsthand how powerful community-led data can be for metabolic research.
“There’s an incredible number of people in this community logging food, their mood, and syncing info from their wearable devices every day. Right now, flok’s working on predicting blood levels within a certain level of confidence.”
Will says this research can eventually help the flok community make dietary decisions in real-time, without waiting weeks for a lab result.
Hard Work Pays Off
Will’s success is built on a foundation of discipline and perseverance. He was Valedictorian of his high school class and a competitive swimmer—racing at the state championship level. His achievements earned him recognition as a two-time recipient of BioMarin Pharmaceutical's RARE Scholar award and a Wings Over America Scholarship.
“I’m proud to have raced at state competition in high school, because so many of the health-related aspects of competitive sports involve your diet.” While he was training, Will worked with his metabolic dietitian to adjust his medical formula and increase his intake, proving to himself that “there doesn’t have to be a limit on what I can achieve with PKU.” Now in college, Will continues to push those limits—backpacking and climbing Mount Rainier, St. Helens, and Hood.
Looking Ahead
Beyond academics and athletics, Will finds balance in spending time with friends and playing music—piano, guitar, and most recently, harmonica. He also works at a healthcare startup called Dispatch Care that develops solutions for triaging patient call lights in medical centers.
As he looks toward the future, Will plans to use his computer science degree to create meaningful change in the healthcare space. We’re cheering Will on as he chases his dreams—and can’t wait to see what he does next! Follow along with Will’s journey on Instagram: @willll.mcclintock.
