London high schooler tapped for engineering scholarship after building replica Mercedes G-Wagon
Ribal Zebian's replica Mercedes Benz G-Class SUV is on display next to a real one at Mercedes Benz London on Southdale Road, seen on June 26, 2025. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
A graduating London high school student is on the road to joining the ranks of Canada's top engineers.
'I'm pretty sure this is the first of its kind in Canada, or even North America,' said Ribal Zebian.
The 18-year-old Regina Mundi student has designed and built a fully functional, fully electric wooden replica of a Mercedes Benz G-Class SUV.
He combined the skills he learned in woodworking and robotics with his dream to do something bold and came up with the prototype.
'Took me around two and a half months to finish, and a total of 120 hours of work. I would work on this in between lunches during school. And I also had a woodworking class,' explained the aspiring engineer.
The replica has helped Ribal land a prestigious $120,000 engineering scholarship from the Schulich Foundation. He's one of 100 students across the country to receive the honour, chosen from 300,000 applicants.
Ribal Zebian
Ribal Zebian poses with his scholarship from the Schulich Foundation on June 26, 2025. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)
Ribal's father, Ata H. Zebian, said he's not surprised by his son's accomplishment.
'The piece my son did, it's beautiful. I believe in him. It is the best. He got the scholarship. He's entering university. And I'm super proud of him,' said Zebian.
Ribal's older brother, Islam Zebian, said he marveled at seeing the G-Wagon come together.
'When I saw the initial start, it was just a frame and a chassis. And then I just look at the completed project, I'm like, 'Wow, that must be such a good learning experience,'' he said.
The replica Mercedes is on display in the showroom at Mercedes Benz London on Southdale Road. General Sales Manager Mike Maric said they're happy to showcase local talent.
'It's hard to replicate something like that without having one to compare it with. But it turned out very well,' said Maric.
Ribal is graduating from high school Thursday evening. And it won't be with just a generous scholarship, but also a story to tell, and the life-long memory of the passion project that helped launch his future.
He is set to study at Western University, flying high toward a career in aerospace engineering.
'When you think of how difficult this is to achieve. When you just remind yourself of that. It's incredible, right? It's not something that's ordinary. It's a unique experience,' Ribal reflected.
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