A new century, the year 2000 promised to be epic. With the Y2K crisis over, everyone could breathe a sigh of relief that the technology people had come to depend on was still intact. However, as quickly as the decade started, it would become over shadowed by Sept. 11, 2001, and the nation’s response would dominate the headlines for years to come.

As much as technology expanded in the 1990s, it would continue to dominate the 2000s. iPods and iPhones were becoming more common with the one-billionth song downloaded on iTunes in February 2006.

Barack Obama becomes the first African-American president in the United States in 2008. Michael Phelps wins his eighth gold medal in the Beijing Summer Olympics, surpassing a previous record set.

And while much history was being made nationwide, Moraine Valley was making its own history right at home. From prestigious honors to celebrating the college’s president to tremendous growth and beautification, Moraine Valley soared in the 2000s.

Moraine Valley was well prepared for the new millennium as the Y2K taskforce protected the college’s computer systems, and the college first earned the standing of second largest community college in the state of Illinois. While the college experienced record enrollments topping 14,000 students, it continued to expand its campus with the opening of Building D in 2001, renovation of the library in 2005, opening of the Southwest Education Center in 2008, and dedication of the buildings U, C and M in 2009.

The college hosted many noteworthy speakers, including then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, and a multitude of cultural events. Its athletics teams also competed internationally for the first time.

Click on the image to see a gallery of photos from the 2000s.