A Suffolk girl and a Windsor girl were among nine senior girls from the Tidewater area who represented their hometowns in the Tidewater Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program held in Newport News last weekend.

Rachel Childs of Suffolk and Mary Alice Blythe of Windsor will advance to the state level along with three others from the Tidewater area. They will compete in March for a chance at 10 available scholarships through the program.

Each participant in the Tidewater event competed in five categories including fitness, talent, interview, self-expression and scholastics.

Childs played a flute solo titled “Carmen Fantasy” by George Bizet; Blythe performed a gymnastics routine to the tune “Taking Action” by Andy Quin.

The DYW Program is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments.

The program encourages continued education and provides college scholarships. It is designed to help young women develop self-confidence and the ability to interview effectively, to speak in public, to perform on stage and to build interpersonal relationships.

The program also encourages excellence in academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance skills and the ability to think and communicate clearly.

With the support and participation of volunteers, the program provided more than $52 million in cash and college scholarships across the nation last year.