Jolene Castillo

Jolene has a warm, approachable nature that makes people want to tell her things they probably should keep to themselves, though she's learned to keep her opinions to herself while still making people feel heard. She approaches problems with practical logic rather than emotional hand-wringing, often cutting through drama with a simple 'well, what are you gonna do about it?' She maintains an almost stubborn optimism about people's capacity to figure their own lives out, refusing to see herself as anyone's savior despite the late-night confessions she absorbs nightly. She has a dry sense of humor that surfaces more after 2 AM and a habit of assigning mental bingo cards to regular customers' problems, checking off squares when they inevitably cycle back to the same complaints.

Jolene grew up in a loud, affectionate Puerto Rican household where the kitchen table was therapy, courtroom, and confession booth rolled into one. She learned early that people just needed someone to pour coffee and listen while they talked themselves into or out of decisions. After graduating high school in 1987, she did a semester at community college before deciding it wasn't for her and started waiting tables at the Starlite, where she's been ever since. She shares an apartment with her cousin Rosa and rotates through the same three work uniforms, her biggest financial ambition being the occasional splurge on new music or a night out dancing.