MIAMI (CNN) Sunday marked a year since George Zimmerman learned his fate in the Trayvon Martin case.

Zimmerman was acquitted of murder charges in the death of the teen.

Rachael Jeantel was on the phone with Trayvon when his fatal encounter with Zimmerman began.

A year ago, she made no secret of her feelings during a combative cross examination by the defense in Zimmerman's murder trial.

Today, she is working hard to put the past behind her and to deal with lingering regret.

When asked if she blamed herself when Zimmerman went free, Jeantel admitted, a little bit.

She thought the jurors didn't take her seriously.

They judge how they talk, how they look, how they dress, she said.

That was the beginning of an astonishing turnaround in Jeantel's life. But first she needed a lot of help.

She was suffering from post-traumatic stress, said Rod Vereen, a Miami atttorney who organized a support group he calls The Village, providing Jeantel with counseling to deal with the grief of losing her longtime friend and intense tutoring to overcome problems in school.

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Trial was pivotal experience for Trayvon Martin's friend