Bethany Leigh Denman, 25, pleaded no contest in September to an intoxication manslaughter charge in the death of 53-year-old Amy Meron.
Meron's vehicle was hit head-on in 2010 as Denman drove on the wrong side of the road after leaving a San Antonio restaurant.
The state district judge Monday could have given Denman anywhere from probation to 20 years.
The San Antonio Express-News reports that Denman, a biological sciences major from Conroe, had made the dean's list.
She must serve at least half the sentence before she's eligible for parole.
