ADAMS TWP — When a Mars High School graduate started an online business to pay for college this fall, he had no idea his entrepreneurship would land him a few minutes on a national news show.

After graduating from Mars earlier this summer, Bryan Thomas looked forward to attending Grove City College in the fall as a freshman. But the private college does not accept federal aid, so students and their families must get scholarships or pay for their education.

Bryan's father, Keith, works for a nonprofit organization that was hit hard by the recession, so Bryan had to come up with a way to pony up.

In late July, the young conservative hit upon the idea of selling political posters online that contain clever sayings supporting GOP philosophies.

Sayings on the posters include “I am a conservative. We believe in personal responsibility, low taxes, limited government,” “Don't steal, the government hates competition,” and “When the people fear the government, there is tyranny/When the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

Bryan said he looked to the country's founding fathers for inspiration when faced with choosing sayings for the 18-by-24 inch posters, which sell for $25 each plus shipping.

Bryan created four posters using Photoshop software and displayed them on his website, www.patriottype.com. When he receives a number of orders, Bryan takes his poster stock to a local printing company. He then ships the results to his customers.

“I don't have too many Cranberry customers now,” Bryan said. “They are mainly for conservative Americans' homes, and a lot of college students order them for their dorm rooms.”

Almost immediately, Fox Radio talk show host Todd Starnes began following Bryan on Twitter upon seeing the posters online. After interviewing Bryan over the phone for his show, Starnes passed the story on to others within the Fox network.

“He put in a good word for me,” Bryan said.

Starnes said via e-mail that he has three of Bryan's posters hanging in his office at Fox headquarters.

“He's a pretty remarkable graphic designer,” Starnes said.

The talk show host also commented that Bryan's efforts in starting his own business gives him hope for tomorrow in America.

“It's refreshing to hear about a young man who is living the American dream and embracing this idea that we live in a nation where you can be or do anything you want,” Starnes said. “It's also a testament to his mom and dad, who instilled traditional values and hard work in their son.

“Bryan represents a very large group of teenagers who love the traditional values of the United States,” Starnes said. “These are kids who love God. They are active in the church and in their community. I suspect Bryan is going to be very successful at whatever he decides to do in life. To borrow a phrase from Sean Hannity, Bryan Thomas is a 'great American.'”

Starnes' influence must have worked because the national show “Fox and Friends” called Bryan for a five-minute discussion a few days later. Producers then asked him to appear on the show via satellite feed from a studio in Pittsburgh to Fox headquarters in New York City.

Bryan jumped at the chance.

The young entrepreneur appeared live via satellite on the July 27 show for about two minutes. He arrived at the studio, which is beside the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, very early in the morning to be prepped for the 7 a.m. interview.

“It was surreal,” Bryan said. “I never thought I would be able to get on Fox News. It was quite the adventure.”

Having discussed the poster business on the show, Bryan's website was flooded with traffic and orders.

“I got more than 7,000 hits that day,” he said.

A flurry of business followed, which has died down since the broadcast.

“It definitely boosted my sales quite a bit,” Bryan said.

He said his family supported him fully throughout the adventure, as have his friends and customers.

Bryan's mother, Karen Thomas, said the family — which includes brothers Tyler and Kyle — is proud of Bryan because he started up the business completely of his own volition and using his own money.

She said Bryan has always been fiscally responsible, saving up the money he received for graduation and from his retail sales job to pay for his poster venture.

“He has always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “He's independent, a go-getter, and his own thinker.”

As a young teen, Bryan solicited grass-cutting jobs in the family's Adams Ridge neighborhood and took on a paper route at one point to save up money for important purchases.

She said the stint on “Fox and Friends” was “pretty amazing.”

“I was just very proud that he had gotten in contact with the right people and those people saw something in him and wanted to help him out,” Thomas said.

Tabs on www.patriottype.com allow customers to view Bryan's “Fox and Friends” interview.