<p>does this sentence make sense: “My grandmother’s illness had an emotional impact on me.”</p>
<p>Yes, it does. But the sentence is passive, which tones down the idea you’re expressing (SAT stuff really got drilled into me). Might be better to say, “My grandmother’s illness impacted me emotionally.” It’s also generally best to get rid of null verbs like “to be” and in this case “to have.”</p>