Grad wins national honor

Peabody native Max Caldwell, now an automotive technology instructor at Pratt Community College, has been named 2024 Master Automobile Technician of the Year by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

Caldwell, who is working on a graduate degree in career and technical education at Pittsburg State University, was honored Nov. 20 during a ceremony in New Orleans.

The award carries with it a $1,000 prize.

Caldwell graduated Peabody Burns High School in 2019. While in school, he took auto classes through Newton’s areawide vocational technical school.

He won a scholarship to Pratt Community College, where he went through the automotive program, graduating in 2021.

He then received a bachelor’s degree from Pittsburg State University and began teaching at Pratt Community College.