Many may know Terry Lardell as a teacher, a friend, an inspiration, but very few know him for one of his best accomplishes- an author.

Lardell, 54, is a long-time Spanish teacher at Mayfield High School, and is very well-known and well-respected amongst his co-workers. In the midst of his 32-year teaching career, Terry Lardell felt he needed to do more.

He said, “There’s so many people that have done so much for me and I’m inspired by how other people have paved a way for me, like my ancestors, students, family, educators and the list goes on. After thinking about this, I thought I had to do something. It’s basically like saying ‘thank you’ for me being where I am today.”

His ‘thank you’ was his novel, They Did It For Me, in which he shows his grace and thankfulness for being where he is today.

Published in Nov. 2014, the story provides an insight to both his personal and teaching life. When asked about which the book involved more, Lardell said, “It involves both, honestly. But to answer your question it involves more of my personal life, experiences that I’ve had so far, and people that have made a lasting-impact.”

The novel, which is sold on Amazon.com, was also a way for Lardell to truly share his story, and to finally put his thoughts and experiences to pen and paper.

However, the process, unfortunately, wasn’t that simple, He said, “It took a very short time because I knew exactly what I wanted to write about, but actually applying the writing is where the time and effort took place. Elaborating on those ideas took me a long time and I had to make sure that I formulated everything correctly. To make a long story short, it took me a few years- about five.”

Also involved in the writing process, in attempt to make the book the best it can be, was Lardell’s editor. When asked about those involved, such as an editor, Lardell said, “I’m not perfect in writing so I had an editor to look it over and other intercessions I had with other people to help me. But the main person was the editor because I truly wanted it to be original.”

A story which demonstrates the morals and philosophies of the long-time, successful career of Lardell, others have shared their thoughts on his story. Spanish teacher and long time colleague of Lardell, Jerry Turk said, “I’m not too surprised with what is in the book because I’ve heard it for 22 years. In almost every conversation I’ve heard about all those things and it just gives me a little more insight into his life and into what molded him into the person he is and what molded his philosophies- wisdom and grace.”

In addition to being a published author, Lardell manages to continue his successful career as a well-known teacher and inspiration to students. Turk said, “He has taught me about wisdom, importance of balance in my life, and he’s taught me how to become a better educator.”

Lardell continues to make a positive impact on the lives of others, including his students.

Sophomore Luke Razzante shared that Lardell has made a huge impact on his daily life.  Razzante said, “He has made a huge difference in my life outside of school and sports. Whatever I do I’ve learned to do it with a purpose and to do it with quality: hitting the target. Mr. Lardell is more than just a teacher to me- he’s an inspiration and a true motivator.”