Fran Kenton
Fran Kenton is a student wellness and wellbeing advocate and the founder of Autonome, an educational platform dedicated to empowering adolescents, teens, and young adults with resilience, emotional agility, and lifelong wellness skills. Autonome represents the culmination of Kenton’s extensive career as an educator, counselor, and certified health and wellness coach, blending evidence-based social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and durable life-skill development. Her work is grounded in the belief that wellbeing is foundational to academic success, personal growth, and long-term fulfillment.
Through Autonome, Kenton provides individual and group coaching, mindfulness practices, and curriculum-based programming designed to help young people navigate life’s challenges while building a strong internal foundation for the future. She has worked across diverse contexts and populations and has been retained by organizations such as The Robert and Susan Kozlowski L.I.F.T. Foundation, which supports underprivileged college scholars through scholarships and mentoring. Kenton is also a co-founder of the Source of Self nonprofit and has partnered with KR Admissions College Consulting to support students in making successful transitions to college and beyond. In addition to her work with youth, she has presented on stress management and mindfulness to professional audiences, including the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and attorney continuing education programs.
Prior to founding Autonome, Kenton spent more than two decades as an educator and counselor in the Lawndale Unified School District and the Las Virgenes Unified School District, where she developed the Transition Curriculum to support special-needs students in post-secondary planning. Her curriculum has been promoted by the Ventura County SELPA, and she has lectured widely to educational professionals. Kenton holds a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology, credentials in school counseling and general and special education, and certifications as a health and wellness coach, fitness trainer, and yoga and nutrition specialist. Her current vision is to establish Autonome as a global platform for social-emotional skill-building that supports both students and educators worldwide.
• Teaching Credential
• University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor's degree
• Wellcoaches
• Public speaking to youth organizations and schools on topics related to student wellness and wellbeing.
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to an unwavering commitment to wellbeing and wellness through durable life-skill building and mindfulness, shaped by an extensive and fulfilling career as an educator, counselor, and certified health and wellness coach. My work has always been rooted in meeting people where they are, listening deeply, and equipping them with skills they can carry with them a lifetime, helping them navigate life with greater self-awareness, resilience, and confidence.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was to listen closely to what keeps calling you back, especially the work that feels meaningful, even when it’s hard. I was reminded early on to align with my values and my purpose.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering education or wellness work is this: honor the calling, but don’t lose yourself in the process. This is a deeply heart-centered, people-centered field, and much of the most meaningful work you’ll do may never be publicly recognized or applauded. The true reward is the internal satisfaction of knowing you made a difference.
It's those quiet moments when a student or client feels safe, heard, or capable for the first time that creates that feeling of deep fulfillment.
Just remember to value yourself as much as you value others. When you care for your own wellbeing, you can keep showing up with heart, purpose, and staying power.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in education and wellness coaching is funding and perception. These programs and services are often seen as “extra,” and political or cultural biases can make implementation difficult. But these challenges also present huge opportunities. Schools and communities are beginning to recognize that students, and really, all individuals, can’t thrive academically, socially, or personally without wellbeing at the center. Wellness coaching, SEL, and mindfulness programs have the power to transform how students, and even educators, approach learning, stress, and life skills.
The key is persistence, advocacy, and designing programs that are accessible, evidence-based, and adaptable, so they can meet the diverse needs of learners across contexts. These are human skills essential for human flourishing, equipping everyone with the tools to navigate life with resilience, self-awareness, and purpose.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values for me are authenticity, integrity, and compassion. Staying true to myself and treating others with respect and care guides everything I do, whether in my work with students, colleagues or in my personal life.