Academic advising practices urgently need refinement to better support the persistence and graduation of first-generation Latina engineering students who are often minoritized in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Academic advisors, often cited as individuals with the potential to support student persistence, operate with a developmental advising lens--a lens that may inadvertantly support systemic barriers to persistence. Alternatively, validating advising practices may better support persistence. As an advising leader, I employed an action research study in which qualitative data were collected as advisors utilized validating advising practices. Findings illuminate the role deficit frameworks had in shaping advisors' perspectives, the strengths and assets of the first-generation latina engineering participants served as counterpoints to those perspectives, and the advisors' engagement with validating practices influenced the students' experiences. Findings also implicate leadership challenges with implementing transformative advising practices.