In 1999, the world was on the cusp of an enormous shift. The turn of the century meant new beginnings, but for the class of 2000, it was the end of an era. As the 90’s came to an end, pop culture took a drastic turn, baggy jeans became boot-cut, and everything became more vibrant and colorful. It was also possibly the end of the world, as people were concerned computers and airplanes would crash when the ball dropped on New Years Eve. But for Seattle Prep students in the class of 2000, what was it really like to be graduating high school during this historic moment?
For starters, technology has advanced immensely since the class of 2000 roamed the hallways of Prep. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, cell phones were rare to find, and students had flip phones without internet access at best.
“The biggest difference at Seattle Prep in teens now from teens in Y2K is the impact that technologies have had, and so in 2000, it was about finding the information. Now in 2026, it’s more about filtering the information. The internet was just beginning so they didn’t have the means to access everything in the world,” Teacher and soccer coach Mr. Hendricks shared.
Nowadays, cell phones have a much larger influence on how we think and act. Social media apps like “Myspace” launched just shortly after 2000, so the internet was not the same distraction it is today. Since the turn of the century, the digital world has evolved into a variety of social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and more. If we all still used our landlines to make phone calls, today’s world would be unrecognizable.
“Being labeled as the ‘first graduating class of the 21st century’ was everywhere. Teachers, MTV, parents, everyone told us we were special and we felt destined for greatness” Prep Alum Molly Schultz ’00 said.
The class of 2000’s senior year was defined by special moments like the boys basketball team’s victory in the state tournament, which named them state champs. Speaking of names, the class was referred to as “speedbumps” by the seniors when they were freshman because they slowed them down in the hallways.
The year was filled with hope and excitement. Seniors experiencing the transition from childhood to adulthood believed life would become much more futuristic, but did not realize how rapidly things were about to change.
“Pre-9/11, pre-recession, there was this feeling that things were just going to keep getting better. The economy seemed unstoppable; there were tech jobs in the future, and everything felt possible. In retrospect, we were naïve about how much would change in just a year or two,” Schultz said.
As the year 2000 approached, the world was filled with a sense of true optimism, and the coming new year became a vessel of hope for the future of humanity. However, it is evident now that a lot more has changed than just the style of our jeans. Looking back at the past twenty-six years, was the year 2000 really the beginning of the future, or was it the end of a simpler time?
