From MC to Broadway: A Class of 2015 Alumna’s Journey in Theater

Music was my first language and poetry was my first love.

That’s how Awa Sal Secka ’15 describes her early passion for the arts. Eleven years after graduating from Montgomery College as a theater major, and after nearly a decade of acclaimed work in the Washington, D.C., regional theater scene, she is making her Broadway debut this fall as Flo in the musical "Wanted."

Born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., before moving to the DMV during middle school, Secka remembers her upbringing as “joyful.” Encouraged by supportive teachers, she participated in chorus, band and theater throughout middle and high school. 

But she didn’t see herself pursuing a performing arts career until a pivotal moment as a tenth grader at Gaithersburg High School. Her older sister was studying at Montgomery College when Secka auditioned for MC’s Summer Dinner Theatre program after a math professor connected them to theater department chair Susan Hoffman. She earned a spot in the ensemble. 

“And that was the beginning of the rest of my life,” Secka recalled. 

That experience sealed her decision to enroll at MC after graduating from high school. Secka originally enrolled as a vocal performance major before switching to theater after realizing her true calling was storytelling. She thrived in the program under the mentorship of faculty such as Hoffman and Kenyatta Rogers, among others. She credits them with providing unwavering support while teaching her to focus on raw text, character, and artistic growth over self-doubt.

“They made me fight for storytelling. It made me say, ‘I want to be a person that can make people feel, make people think, make people smile or make people cry... change people’s lives,’” Secka explained. “None of my professors knew I was going through self-doubt, but all they saw was a person who had potential. They supported me and my classmates with so much ferocity.”

After graduating from MC in 2015, Secka navigated jobs while steadily building her professional résumé. As she built her theater career, she realized performance was her true purpose—driven by human connection, rather than ego or applause.

“I don't want to want the applause. I want to change your mind,” she said. “I want to have a conversation with you. I want to know that I am living in alignment with what God and the universe are asking me to do, that I'm sitting in my purpose. I hope there's a girl out there who looks like me who can say, ‘This is a possibility because she did it.’”

Secka continuously points back to Montgomery College for helping bridge the gap between higher education and professional theater.

“The way that MC professors set me up for success, there was room for me to explore professional opportunities while also being a student. There was room for me to be in conversation with someone who is a teacher and a potential show director,” she said. “They made clear how you can be the best actor in the room. Everyone in my class felt a beautiful sense of responsibility and obligation to pay respect to our alma mater and all of the ways that it set us up for success.”

Between 2013 and 2017, Secka transitioned from part-time acting roles into a full-time theater career. Her breakout D.C. performances included an acclaimed turn in “Ragtime” at Signature Theatre, earning a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and “The Wiz” at Ford's Theatre in 2018. 

That landmark year also brought profound tragedy alongside professional success when her mother passed away from cancer. Driven by her mother’s sacrifices and encouragement, Secka poured herself into her craft, taking on leading roles across prominent regional stages.

In 2020, Secka originated the role of Flo in the world premiere of “Wanted” (then titled “Gun & Powder”) at Signature Theatre. She officially moved to New York City this past summer after being cast to reprise her role as Flo in the Broadway production at the James Earl Jones Theatre. The timing coincided with an upcoming engagement in “Merrily We Roll Along” at Signature Theatre, her artistic home base in the D.C. area.

Looking back on her journey from MC’s Summer Dinner Theatre to the Broadway stage, Secka remains grateful for the community that nurtured her talent.

“It's just so evident to me, consistently throughout my life, all the times people have made room for me or given me the push I needed or spoke life into me when I wasn't sure if I was worth it or if I could do it. The belief has gotten me through and put me in this position. It's like a dream.”