Makram Eskander Nicola (His Eminence's name before consecration) was born on 19th July 1942. He completed his senior school in 1958, and in 1959 joined the Faculty of Engineering (Mechanics Division) in Alexandria, Egypt, as a student. In 1963 he graduated with a Bachelor Degree at the age of 21 years, and was appointed Assistant Lecturer at the Faculty of Engineering (i.e., member of the academic faculty). Before leaving the world to become a monk, he decided to complete his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, which he received on 28th May 1968. Two days after the Faculty's ratification of his Master's Degree results, he left on the day of Ascension (30th May 1968) to become a monk in the Coptic Orthodox monastery of the Blessed Holy Virgin Mary that is famous by the name of Deir A