On Saturday, Spectrum News 1 shared the story of the Heuvelton rocketry team and its success nationally for the better part of two decades.
The team is led by a man that 20 years' worth of students say impacted their lives like no others.
Their mentor is now retiring.
Here's a look back on the STEM career of Robert Kennedy — a teacher some believed can never be replaced.
For 20 years, Heuvelton Central School's focus on STEM has included a rocketry team.
“We're all friends," team member Willem Gleeson said. "We all hang out and we all like aerospace, airplanes [or] anything that flies."
It's passion fostered by team mentor Bob Kennedy.
“I’ve enjoyed this immensely over the years,” Kennedy said of his years mentoring the team.
He's been doing it for 20 years. Bob, who's also a science teacher, has had a major impact on these students' lives.
“We have aeronautical engineers, mechanical engineers, physicists, astronomers, welders, teachers,” Kennedy said of students past.
It's big success coming from a small town.
“A lot of people are just can't believe that this little school in northern New York does so well,” he said.
He credits the success to his students.
“They're amazing kids,” he said.
The students often get to this field at 5:30 a.m. to test.
“The kids have been the best to work with," he said. "It's just been one of the highlights of my career."
It's a career that has made its final landing after 20 years, 10 of which his rocketry team has made the national finals. Bob is now retiring.
“Like I said, a highlight of my career to work with these kids. It's been a blessing,” he added.
It's a decision these kids certainly understand, but say still feels bittersweet.
“He's like, probably my favorite teacher," student Shane Mudge said. "He's always been there for us. I've had so many different science classes with him physics, living, environment, chemistry currently."
“Mr. Kennedy has just helped through the basic needs of like learning how to do the engineering process, helping us if we need it, and all sorts of different ways,” student Bradyn Dawson added.
Those ways go far beyond the classroom.
“Mr. Kennedy has been one of the most notable mentor figures in my life,” student Adam West said.
“He's helped me through some emotional times," student Cooper White added. "And he's definitely he's taught me a lot."
That's a big reason why at this year's national finals, out of 922 teams, Bob was named outstanding mentor of the year.
“We have to explain where from where we're from, they can't pronounce our name, but they know it now, actually,” Kennedy said of the impact his team has had nationally.
It’s Heuvelton.
There may be one more swan song for Kennedy, however.
The team’s 11th-place finish in this year’s finals — allows them to apply for a special NASA student-based project and the team plans to do just that — with Kennedy leading the way.