Joe used to talk about opening a restaurant called "Eat at Joe's".

The morning after Joe's memorial a bunch of us talked about what we could do to remember Joe and keep his spirit alive.

Joe loved people and had many dreams. Using these two qualities of Joe’s, we conceived the idea of awarding a scholarship in his name. We wanted the scholarship process to endure for more than one year and, therefore, established the Joseph A. Aliseo Jr. Foundation.

In accordance with our mission statement, the scholarship will assist a deserving individual to pursue a dream that might otherwise not be realized by providing scholarship funds for a vocational or academic program. The scholarship is not based solely on academic merit, because we believe there are many bright and industrious individuals who do not excel within structure of our public schools. This is why high school graduates as well as graduates of alternative high schools and the General Education Diploma (GED) are eligible to apply for an Eat at Joe’s Scholarship. The application process incorporates a personal essay, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, which may include work history, and statement of financial need. Through this format we hope to find an individual with a clear vision and goal and for whom an Eat at Joe’s Scholarship will benefit greatly.

Awarding a scholarship based upon diverse criteria is an appropriate tribute to Joe, because he had diverse and varied talents, skills, knowledge, life experiences, and dreams.

These following words summarize the basic principles of the Joseph A. Aliseo Jr. Foundation.