Serving Students & Athletes for Over 15 years
Our mission is your Child's success
We mentor Students, athletes, and ADHD brains
Meet CEO & Founder, Tika Haake
Shrutika “Tika” Haake knows firsthand what it takes to chase big dreams.
Her journey began when she immigrated to the United States at just six years old. Like many young immigrants, she had to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, and find her place in a completely unfamiliar world.
Gymnastics entered her life later than most — she didn’t begin formal training until the age of 12. By that time, many elite gymnasts had already been training for nearly half a decade.
There was no elite facility nearby. No early start. No guaranteed path forward.
What she did have was something harder to teach: grit, discipline, and an unstoppable desire to learn.
In just six years, Tika went from a complete beginner to earning a full athletic scholarship as an NCAA Division I gymnast, eventually becoming captain of the University of Iowa Women’s Gymnastics Team Go Hawks!
While competing at the highest collegiate level, Tika also pursued a demanding academic path, graduating with a degree in Biomedical Engineering — a field that requires precision, discipline, and relentless problem-solving.
Balancing elite athletics with rigorous academics taught her lessons that would later shape her life’s work:
• how to perform under pressure
• how to manage time when every hour matters
• how to stay mentally steady when the stakes are high
But perhaps the most important lesson she learned was this:
Success is rarely about talent alone.
It comes from building the right systems, surrounding yourself with the right support, and learning how to thrive when life feels overwhelming.
Today, Tika brings those lessons to student-athletes and families through CarpeDiem Academics, where she has spent over 15 years helping athletes succeed in school, sports, and life.
Her programs combine academic strategy, athletic mentoring, and real-world structure so that student and athletes can pursue big dreams without burning out.
Because athletics may open the door… but strong academics keep it open.
CarpeDiem Mission is “Seize the Day,”
But for us, it means so much more:
Seize your Mind. Seize your Potential. Seize your Opportunities.
Tika and the Coaches at CDA know the unique pressures student-athletes face - because they were all high school or NCAA student-athletes themselves.
We have been through the relentless schedules, the mental fatigue, and the quiet fear of falling behind. CDA was built to be the support we ALL wished we had as teens. CDA is the premier place where students, athletes and families can get real answers, strategies, and support to thrive during the teen years!
Through our Academic Management, ACT Prep, Athlete Mentoring, and parent support tools, we’ve helped hundreds of teens raise grades, restore balance, develop a confident mindset, and step into their future!
Why This Mission Matters
At CarpeDiem Academics, we believe our students are more than a GPA, a test score, or an athletic ranking. They are whole humans with thoughts, emotions, dreams, and potential far beyond what they often see in themselves.
Our mission is to guide these brilliant and talented kids toward academic excellence, emotional resilience, and a strong sense of identity, especially during the hardest seasons of their lives.
How We Do It
Our approach blends academic strategy, emotional resilience work, and NLP-based mindset coaching. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a powerful method that helps teens understand how their brain works, how their thoughts create their results, and how to rewrite patterns that hold them back. We teach students how to upgrade their “mental software” so school, sport, and life feel easier and more aligned.
Our Core Beliefs
We believe:
Success should never cost a child their mental health.
Academic excellence and emotional well-being can coexist.
Athletes need structure - but also compassion.
Parents deserve support, not stress.
Kids do better when someone believes in them before they believe in themselves.
Every student should understand how their brain works and how to use it to their advantage.
True confidence comes from identity, not achievement.
Our Promise
To give your child the tools, strategies, systems, and mental framework to:
stay organized
stay focused
stay confident
stay motivated
and stay grounded
…Even in the busiest seasons of their sport and school life.
We don’t just raise grades.
We raise resilient humans.
We raise leaders.
We raise young adults who
know who they are and
where they’re going.
Let's Understand Today's Students & Athletes
Teens today are under more pressure than ever.
They juggle:
Early Mornings
Long Practices
Tired Minds
Missed Assignments
GPA
Injury Care
Mental Burnout
Social Pressure
College Recruiting
Olympic Dreams
Tough Coaches
Retirement
Most families are on their own trying to make it all work.
That’s where we come in.
We give families structure, clarity, support, and a plan.
Our method blends four powerful systems:
Academic Strategy
Tools for organization, time management, study systems, and executive function — especially for busy or ADHD athletes.
Mindset Training
Confidence building, emotional regulation, motivation systems, and stress-management tools for school and sport.
NLP-Informed Brain Training
We teach athletes how their brain works like a “mental computer” - and how to rewire outdated thoughts, patterns, and beliefs into ones that create confidence, motivation, and success.
Athlete-Focused Life Skills
Goal-setting, communication skills, leadership, accountability, and routines that bring out the best version of your child.
We combine the best of academic coaching, mental skills training, and athlete mindset work - so your child has every advantage, in and out of the classroom
What We Believe
Your child is more than a GPA or a test score
Parents don't always have to know everything
Students need individualized attention
Mentality and resilience create future success
Taking time to plan frees up time
Self-worth and hard work go hand-in-hand
If your child is overwhelmed by school, managing ADHD, battling low confidence, needs a better mindset, suffers with competitive anxiety or fear, chasing college dreams, or needs a retirement plan... CDA is here to help.
Remember: This isn’t just tutoring.
It's transformation - for you and your Teen.
You’re doing everything you can to support your child and that matters.
But even the most dedicated parents need help navigating academics, emotions, and motivation.
Getting support doesn’t mean you’re falling short. It means you’re showing up.
The Edge Every Athlete Needs.
For Who They Are.
For Who They’re Becoming.
For What Comes Next.
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