Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/67/1/54/6168084 by 81695661, OUP on 16 March 2021 AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST | SPRING 2021 55 AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST | SPRING 2021 55 ntomologists study the most diverse organisms on Earth, and we come from an array of backgrounds, genders, socioeconomic classes, ages, ethnicities, and orientations. Chris was one of a cohort of evolutionary biologists who got CHRIS HAMILTON Organism of Inspiration: Tarantulas Human Inspiration: Jason Bond and Brent Hendrixson Aphonopelma hentzi, called cholhkan ishto' in Chickasaw. We interviewed Melanie and Chris to discuss their respective paths to becoming professional entomologists, the people who inspired them to stay in entomology, and what has worked to retain them in entomology. Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/ae/article/67/1/54/6168084 by 81695661, OUP on 16 March 2021 M elanie Kirby is currently a master's student studying honey bee queen breeding and bee germplasm conservation in the Apis Molecular Systematics Laboratory at Washington State University (WSU). [Extracted from the article]