Diane Dobitz didn’t ask to stand in the limelight.

Surely, she’d rather be in Africa, on the reservation or in the classroom, helping children learn to read and write. She’d rather be rounding up books to send to schoolhouses in developing countries or treating young academic achievers to a celebratory lunch on the town.

Without prompting, Dobitz probably wouldn’t mention the five years she spent educating children in Kenya. Or the years before then when she worked in Appalachia and on Indian reservations to promote literacy and education.

She’ll make no mention of the Applebee’s lunch she provides for her English-language learning students who meet their annual reading goals. And she probably won’t make a big deal out of the extra time she spends helping immigrant families find everything from transportation to local services to a friendly ear, ready to listen.

By day, Dobitz is a teacher for English-language learners at Kennedy Elementary. But she’s also an advocate, a liaison, a community activist, a benefactor and a friend. But Dobitz would never tell you those things herself.

She doesn’t need to.

Her growing cabinet of regional, state and national service awards do the talking for her. And speaking the loudest is her latest accolade: the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for exceptional service to local communities.

“I’m bearing the award like an ambassador for all the other people who deserved to be here,” said Dobitz by phone from Washington, D.C., where she received her award during a Tuesday gala.

“The reality is that so many people could win this award.”

Dobitz arrived in the nation’s capital thinking she was going to receive only a Jefferson Award, which is a regional, nomination-based honor for community service that is sponsored in this area by KEYC-TV.

But during the award ceremony, Dobitz was shocked when her likeness popped up on the big screen and a video about her work began playing to an audience of hundreds.

That the award is one of the most prestigious recognitions of community service in the land was not lost on Dobitz.

“I feel so affirmed in what I believe and what I do,” she said, humble to the last. “But this isn’t about me. I’m not alone.”

Truth is, however, that a lot of folks back home in Mankato say Dobitz truly does stand alone.

Jane Schostag, who nominated Dobitz for the Jefferson Award, said her friend “is as close as someone can come to being a saint.”

Peter Johnson, an instructor at South Central College, has worked with Dobitz the last several years to collect books for a St. Paul-based nonprofit that sends them to children in Africa.

“We’re really proud of her,” Johnson said. “She’s a real prize.”

Bukata Hayes, director of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council, worked with Dobitz on establishing the Circle of Parents, which acts as a bridge between immigrant families and the school district. Hayes said Dobitz’s intimate relationships with her students and their parents were invaluable tools in engaging Mankato’s diverse families.

“She’s definitely one of those community treasures,” he said.

Just don’t expect Dobitz to tell you that herself.