Sharon Mobley Stow is a registered nurse and the former wife of American broadcast journalist Jim Acosta. A graduate of James Madison University, she met Acosta during their college years, before his career took him into national television news. They married in 1994, raised a family, and divorced in 2017. Her biography connects two distinct professional worlds: healthcare and political journalism. The clearest account of her life begins with her own education and nursing background, then follows the marriage through university records, contemporary interviews, and published coverage.
Sharon Mobley Stow at a Glance
These essential details establish her educational, professional, and family connections.
| Detail | Biography |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sharon Mobley Stow |
| Professional background | Registered nursing |
| University | James Madison University |
| Former husband | Journalist Jim Acosta |
| Marriage | 1994–2017 |
Her James Madison University Connection
James Madison University provides a direct institutional source for Stow’s educational background. An alumni profile of Acosta identifies Sharon as a fellow JMU graduate. The profile describes their family during his earlier years covering the White House, placing her university connection within an account published by the institution itself.
Salem Press’s Great Lives from History: Latinos adds a detail about the beginning of their relationship: Stow and Acosta met while attending JMU. Their connection therefore predates his work as a national television correspondent and the political coverage that later made him widely recognizable.
Acosta graduated in 1993 with a degree in mass communications and a minor in political science. During college, he worked with the campus radio station, WXJM, and the local station WSVA. Those activities help establish the setting in which their relationship began: a university community where he was already preparing for a broadcasting career.
Her Professional Background in Nursing
Published coverage identifies Stow as a registered nurse. That professional background is an essential part of her biography, separate from her connection to a television journalist. A January 2025 profile in The Sun, citing the New York Post, describes her nursing work, while Hollywood Life also identifies her with the profession.
What Registered Nursing Involves
Registered nursing is a licensed healthcare profession. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes its central responsibilities as providing and coordinating patient care, explaining health conditions, and supporting patients and their families. Nurses also assess symptoms, maintain clinical records, administer treatments, and collaborate with other healthcare professionals.
The occupation covers several settings, including hospitals, physicians’ offices, schools, outpatient facilities, and home healthcare. Duties vary with the workplace and patient group. This broader context explains the professional designation attached to Stow’s name without assigning her a particular specialty or presenting a general nursing responsibility as a documented detail of her employment.
Marriage and Family During Acosta’s Broadcasting Career
Stow and Acosta married in 1994. Their marriage lasted through much of his progression from early broadcasting jobs to national news, including his work at CBS and his move to CNN in 2007. By the time he became a familiar face in presidential campaign coverage, their relationship had already spanned many years.
Their family also had an established connection to Maryland. JMU’s earlier alumni profile described the couple living with their children in Annapolis. Later property reporting documented a home purchase in nearby Arnold in 2008, adding a dated milestone to their family history.
A Contemporary Account of Family Sacrifices
A 2012 interview with Curio magazine offers a useful glimpse of the practical demands surrounding Acosta’s work. While covering the presidential campaign, he spoke about frequent travel and the effect it had on his family. He explained that he reassured his children he would spend more time at home after the election.
He acknowledged his family again when accepting JMU’s Ronald E. Carrier Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016. As quoted in The List, he said, “They’ve sacrificed so much for my career.” His remarks provide a personal acknowledgment of the household behind his television work, although they do not describe how Stow and Acosta divided their responsibilities.
The End of Their Marriage in 2017
Stow and Acosta’s marriage ended in 2017, approximately 23 years after their wedding. Coverage of their separation appeared that year, and subsequent biographical accounts identify 2017 as the year of their divorce.
The reasons for their separation have not been publicly explained in the reliable sources cited here. Acosta’s comments about professional travel provide context about his working life, but they do not establish the cause of the divorce. Connecting those remarks to a specific marital problem would go beyond what he actually said.
A Documented Connection After the Divorce
A January 28, 2025, article by Realtor.com journalist Claudine Zap examined property records associated with Acosta. It found that both his and Stow’s names remained on deeds for properties in Maryland and Georgia at the time of publication. The article also identified their 2008 Maryland home purchase.
That reporting supplies a concrete detail about their affairs after the marriage ended. Its scope is property ownership at a particular date. A shared deed alone does not establish where either person lived, how often they used a property, or the nature of their personal relationship following divorce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sharon Mobley Stow?
Sharon Mobley Stow is a registered nurse, James Madison University graduate, and the former wife of journalist Jim Acosta.
Where did Sharon Mobley Stow meet Jim Acosta?
They met at James Madison University, as recorded in Salem Press’s biographical entry on Acosta.
When were Sharon Mobley Stow and Jim Acosta married?
Their marriage began in 1994 and ended in 2017, lasting approximately 23 years.
Does Sharon Mobley Stow have children?
Yes. JMU’s alumni profile describes Stow and Acosta’s family with their children during the marriage.
Was Jim Acosta already working at CNN when they married?
No. Their 1994 wedding preceded his arrival at CNN in 2007 by more than a decade.
Conclusion
Sharon Mobley Stow’s biography includes a university education, a professional background in nursing, and a marriage that spanned much of Jim Acosta’s broadcasting career. Understanding that chronology gives readers a clear account of her connection to the journalist while keeping her own education and profession in view.
